The Subscription Economy is Set to See a Surge in Growth Post Covid-19, With Consumers Shifting Towards Subscriptions of Physical Goods
The US market occupies a dominant position in the subscription and recurring payments market.
Consumers worldwide have seen the benefits of the subscription economy in the face of the outbreak of the pandemic. The US market is no exception to this trend, as general subscription e-commerce sales in the US are increasing, with forecasted sales reaching a double-digit value in certain billion US dollars by 2024. Furthermore, the number of digital buyers is also anticipated to increase steadily from 2019 to 2024, with growth rates remaining constant post-2021, as revealed by the latest report. The consumer expenditure on the top 100 subscription apps of both the App Store and Google Play also experienced a significant rise in growth rates between 2020 and 2021, with the total consumer spending reaching a new sales high by the end of 2021. In terms of generations, millennials had the highest number of subscriptions as of 2021, with most millennials indicating that they subscribe for convenience and to save money. Furthermore, millennials were also among those who favored new introductory offers and subscription gifting options when compared to other age groups in 2021.
With Subscription Video on Demand revenues in the US forecasted to grow at a modest CAGR between 2021 and 2024, the average number of paid music subscriptions also showed acceleration since 2019 and reached a value in the millions as of 2021. Paid subscriptions are continuing to increase in popularity among US consumers, with more than three-quarters of the streaming revenue coming from paid subscriptions as of 2021. In Q4 2021, most households in the US indicated that they had a subscription to a video service, and more than half of the subscribers surveyed had plans to increase their retail subscriptions in the future.
Digital wallets, BNPL, One-click payment, among others are some trends shaping the subscription and recurring payments market, with payment processors adding new recurring payment features.
Due to the growth of the subscription-based business model, recurring payments have become popular among customers and merchants alike. Recurring payments saw a boom mainly due to the acceleration of streaming platforms such as Netflix, Spotify, Amazon Prime, and others. As subscription models are becoming popular even in traditional services such as education, food & beverages, parking lots, among others, companies within these sectors are also implementing recurring payments in their operations. Consumers subscribing to various subscription services demand frictionless methods of payment such as BNPL, digital wallets, and ACH, with ACH gaining popularity due to its cost-efficiency and reliability, as stated in the new report. There is also a rise in demand for faster payment options such as biometric and crypto payments, along with one-click payments and auto-renewal of subscriptions.
Questions Covered:
1. What is the forecasted number of subscription OTT video services globally by 2025?
2. What are the emerging trends in the global subscription and recurring payments market?
3. What is the estimated market value of the global subscription economy by 2022?
4. What was the total consumer spending on top 100 app store and Google store subscription apps as of 2021?
Countries Covered
- Australia
- Brazil
- Canada
- China
- France
- Germany
- India
- Iran
- Israel
- Japan
- Mexico
- Russia
- Turkey
- UK
- USA
Please note: For this report, the purchase of an Enterprise license allows up to ten worldwide users of an organization access to the report
Table of Contents
1. Management Summary
2. Global
- Subscription Market Overview and Trends, October 2022 (1 of 2)
- Subscription Market Overview and Trends, October 2022 (2 of 2)
- Recurring Payment Market Overview and Trends, October 2022
- Market Value of Subscription Economy, in USD billion, 2022 & 2026f
- Key Metrics for a Subscription Business, October 2022 (1 of 2)
- Key Metrics for a Subscription Business, October 2022 (2 of 2)
- Key Benefits of a Subscription Business, October 2022
- Top B2C E-Commerce Subscriptions Business Models, October 2022
- Share of Subscribers, by Verticals, Exclusive of “Entertainment And SVOD Categories”, in % of Total Subscribers, December 2021
- Year-On-Year Growth of Overall Subscription Customer Count, by Verticals, Exclusive of “Entertainment And SVOD Categories”, in % of Y-O-Y Growth, December 2021
- Percentage Increase in Average Monthly Subscribers, by Verticals, Exclusive of “Entertainment And SVOD Categories”, in % of Y-O-Y Growth, December 2021
- Monthly Recurring Revenue, in USD million, and MRR Growth Rate, by Verticals, Exclusive of “Entertainment And SVOD Categories”, in %, December 2021
- Average Order Value Growth Rate, by Verticals, Exclusive of “Entertainment And SVOD Categories”, in %, December 2021
- Lifetime Value Growth Rate, by Verticals, Exclusive of “Entertainment And SVOD Categories”, in %, December 2021
- Share of Customer Retention Rate in Past 12 Months, by Verticals, Exclusive of “Entertainment And SVOD Categories”, in % of Customers, December 2021
- Annualized Subscription Economy Revenue Growth vs S&P 500 Revenue Growth, in %, 2019-2021
- Annualized Subscription Economy Revenue Growth vs S&P 500 Revenue Growth, in %, Q1 2022-Q2 2022
- Subscription Economy Index Quarterly Revenue Growth Rate, in %, Q1 2020 - Q4 2021
- Subscription Economy Index Average Churn Rate, in %, 2019-2021
- Subscription Economy Index Growth Rate, by Sectors, in %, 2021
- Consumer Spending in Top 100 Subscription Applications, by Revenue Channel, in USD billion, 2020 & 2021
- Top Segment That Will Account for the Largest Share of Subscription Revenue, in % of Global Revenue, 2022e
- Share of Direct-to-Consumer Companies That Will Offer Subscription Services, in %, 2023f
- Share of Adults Who Would Make Cutbacks In Case the Cost-of-Living Increases, by Areas, incl. “Subscriptions", in % of Adults, May 2022
- Share of Adults Who Would Make Cutbacks to Streaming Subscriptions In Case the Cost-of-Living Increases, by Country, in % of Adults, May 2022
- Share of Adults Who Have Cancelled At Least One Subscription vs Those Who Have Purchased At Least One Subscription, by Country, in % of Adults, May 2022 (1 of 2)
- Share of Adults Who Have Cancelled At Least One Subscription vs Those Who Have Purchased At Least One Subscription, by Country, in % of Adults, May 2022 (2 of 2)
- Generations That Cancelled And Resubscribed Paid Streaming Video Services Within the Last 12 Months, by Country, in % of Respondents, January 2022
- Subscription OTT Video Service Users, in billions, and Year-on-Year Change, in %, 2020-2025f
3. North America
3.1. USA
- Subscription B2C E-Commerce Sales, in USD billion, and Year-on-Year Change, in %, 2019-2024f
- Share of Subscription Sales, in % of Total Retail B2C E-Commerce Sales, 2019-2024f
- Number of Digital Subscription Buyers, in millions, and Year-on-Year Change, in %, 2019-2024f
- Consumer Spending in Top 100 Subscription Applications, by Revenue Channel, in USD billion, 2020 & 2021
- Average Number of Retail Subscriptions Held by Consumers, by Generation, in Absolute Numbers, October 2021, March 2022, & May 2022
- Average Number of Retail Subscriptions Held by Consumers, by Income, in Absolute Numbers, October 2021, March 2022, & May 2022
- Top Reasons Why Millennials Sign up for Subscriptions, in % of Millennials, 2021
- Share of Respondents in Favor of Introductory Offers, vs Those in Favor of Subscription Gifting, by Generations, in %, 2021
- SVOD Revenue, in USD billion, 2021 & 2024f
- Average Annual Paid Music Subscriptions, in millions, 2019-2021
- Share of Revenue From Paid Subscription, in % of Streaming Revenue, 2021
- Share of Households Having a Video Subscription Service, in %, Q4 2021
- Share of Subscribers Planning to Change Their Retail Subscription Usage Post Pandemic, in %, October 2021
- Top Payment Processors for Recurring Payments, incl. Overall, Pricing & Contract, Recurring Payment Types, General Features, and Expert Scores, April 2022
- Top Payment Processors for Recurring Payments, incl. Pros, Cons, and Recurring Payment Features, April 2022 (1 of 3)
- Top Payment Processors for Recurring Payments, incl. Pros, Cons, and Recurring Payment Features, April 2022 (2 of 3)
- Top Payment Processors for Recurring Payments, incl. Pros, Cons, and Recurring Payment Features, April 2022 (3 of 3)
3.2. Canada
- Share of Respondents Subscribing to an SVOD Service, in %, 2021
4. Europe
4.1. Regional
- Number of SVOD Subscriptions, in millions, 2021 & 2027f
- Number of SVOD Subscriptions, by Platforms, in millions, 2027f
- SVOD Revenue, in USD billion, 2021 & 2027f
- Number of SVOD Subscriptions, in millions, 2021 & 2027f
- Share of Customers Who Spent More Money on a Category After Getting a Subscription, in %, Q1 2022
- Share of Customers Who Reduced Time Spent on Usage of Similar Services After Getting a Subscription, in %, Q1 2022
- Top Factors Motivating Customers’ Decision to Purchase Subscription, in % of Respondents, Q1 2022
- Top Factors Motivating Customers to Switch to a New Subscription Provider, in % of Customers, Q1 2022
- Top Barriers That Stop Customers From Buying Any Subscription, in % of Customers, Q1 2022
4.2. UK
- Subscription Market Value, in GBP billion, 2021 & 2025f
- Share of Households Who Signed Up to at Least One Subscription, in %, 2021 vs June 2022
- Top Categories in Which Consumers Signed Up for a Subscription, in % of Consumers, 2021 vs 2022
- Average Price That Online Shoppers are Willing to Pay for Subscription Services, by Product Categories & Price Levels, in % of Online Shoppers, August 2022
- Top Reasons Why Online Shoppers Do Not Subscribe to Subscription Services, in % of Online Shoppers, August 2022
- Breakdown of Online Shoppers Who Had to Cancel Their Subscription Services, in %, August 2022
- Share of Consumers Who Cancelled At least One Subscription Due to Decrease in Disposable Income, in %, June 2022
- Top Strategies of Subscription Providers to Combat Declining Subscriptions, in % of Subscription Providers, June 2022
- Factors That Would Make Consumers More Likely to Sign Up to Subscriptions in the Future, in % of Respondents, June 2022
- Number of Households Having Access SVOD Service, in millions, Q1 2022 vs Q2 2022
4.3. Germany
- Share of SVOD Household Penetration, in %, Q1 2022
- Share of Subscription Service Consumers Who Cancelled a Subscription to Make Way for a New One, in %, Q1 2022
- Share of Consumers Who Chose an SVOD Subscription Mainly for Relaxation, in %, Q1 2022
- Share of Households Having an SVOD Subscription, by Generation, in %, Q1 2022
4.4. France
- Share of Respondents Who Plan to Maintain or Increase Their Subscriptions in the Next 12 Months, in %, May 2022
- Share of Families Who Have Between 2 and 5 Subscriptions, in %, May 2022
- Share of Families Who Increased Their Subscription Spending Last Year, in %, May 2022
- Top Reasons For Respondents to Subscribe to Services, in % of Respondents, May 2022
4.5. Russia
- Share of Respondents Having Either a Free Or Paid Subscription to Online Cinema, in % of Respondents, Q2 2021-Q2 2022
- Breakdown of Attitudes Towards Subscription Among Online Shoppers, in % of Online Shoppers, November 2021
- Share of Subscriptions Among Those With an Annual Income of More Than RUB 75 Thousand, in % of Respondents, November 2021
4.6. Turkey
- Mobile Subscriber Penetration Rate, in % of Smartphone Users, 2021 & 2025f
- Share of Customers Who Were Unaware of Subscriptions Until Given an Example of One, in %, Q1 2022
5. Asia-Pacific
5.1. Regional
- SVOD Revenue, in USD billion, 2021 & 2027f
- Number of SVOD Subscriptions, in millions, 2021 & 2027f
5.2. China
- Share of SVOD Subscriptions, in % of Region’s Total Subscriptions, 2027f
5.3. India
- Number of SVOD Subscriptions, in millions, 2021 & 2027f
5.4. Japan
- Domestic Subscription Service Market Size, in JPY billion, and Year-on-Year Change, in %, 2020-2024f
- SVOD Revenue, in USD billion, 2022e & 2027f
- Monthly Average SVOD Revenue Per Unique SVOD Household, in USD, 2022e & 2027f
5.5. Australia
- SVOD Revenue, in USD billion, 2021 & 2026f
- Breakdown of Subscription Models Used by Online Shoppers, by Subscription Category, in % of Online Shoppers, August 2022
- Share of Online Shoppers Holding Non-Traditional Subscriptions, in %, August 2022
- Reasons Why Non-Subscribers Do Not Subscribe to a Service, in %, August 2022
6. Latin America
6.1. Regional
- SVOD Revenue, in USD billion, 2021 & 2027f
- Number of SVOD Subscriptions, in millions, 2021 & 2027f
- SVOD Revenue, by Platform, in USD million, 2027f
6.2. Brazil
- Share of Respondents Who Claim To Subscribe Or Have Already Subscribed to a Service For Watching Movies or Series Online, in %, April 2022
- Share of Respondents Who Cancelled a Subscription To a Streaming Service, in %, April 2022
6.3. Mexico
- Number of SVOD Subscriptions, in millions, Q1 2022 & Q2 2022
- Breakdown of SVOD Subscription Share, in % of Total Users, Q2 2022
- Breakdown of Payment Methods Used for SVOD Subscriptions, in % of Total Users, Q2 2022
7. Middle East & Africa
7.1. Regional
- Number of Unique Mobile Subscribers, in millions, 2021 & 2025f
- Mobile Subscriber Penetration Rate, in % of Smartphone Users, 2021 & 2025f
- Mobile Subscriber Penetration Rate, in % of Smartphone Users, 2021 & 2025f
- SVOD Revenues, in USD billion, 2021 & 2027f
- Number of Paid SVOD Subscriptions, in millions, 2021 & 2027f
7.2. Iran
- Mobile Subscriber Penetration Rate, in % of Smartphone Users, 2021 & 2025f
7.3. Israel
- Mobile Subscriber Penetration Rate, in % of Smartphone Users, 2021 & 2025f
Companies Mentioned (Partial List)
A selection of companies mentioned in this report includes, but is not limited to:
- Amazon Prime
- Apple
- Disney
- Google Play
- HBO
- Helcim
- Netflix
- Paramount
- PayPal
- Square
- Spotify
- Stripe
- Wave
