Specifically, this comes with not only pulling in new subscribers
for the long term, but finding new ways of keeping them around to avoid dreaded "churn."
It is testing a new feature called "free front porch," according to a report in Business Insider.
This allows new users to not only sample
but to remain on the platform -- free -- for longer periods of time, delivering short-video content that is advertising-supported.
That free content comes mostly from testing "micro-dramas"
through episodes a minute or two in length for a TV series, and other ‘vertical’-mobile originated video.
In addition, the "free front porch" plan will apparently also allow some
level of access to movies and shows without a Paramount+ subscription -- although with advertising interruptions. Still, news users will need to start up an "free" account.
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Monthly churn has
been an issue for many streaming platforms especially for those on-and-off platform streaming behaviors of paying subscribers. This comes when users time their short-term month to month subscriptions
based on new releases of episodes of popular TV streaming series.
Overall the idea is to tempt potential pay customers with some valuable content -- long- and short-form video -- so they will
eventually feel comfortable to not abandon a streaming platform and perhaps be moved to paying for subscriptions over a longer period of time.
One can imagine that if Paramount succeeded with
its WBD acquisition they may do the same for HBO Max.
The ultimate idea is to push up Paramount+ -- and perhaps HBO Max, if its deal for WBD goes through -- to be a "must-have" Netflix-like
platform they will never cancel.
In that regard, we need an update for the future: What is a "must have" channel now? Researchers may want to make a new list.
They should ask all TV
viewers and users -- and older streaming TV/legacy TV paying users in particular -- whether, for example, they still consider longtime brands CBS, NBC, Fox, or ABC in that must have category.