Uncharted waters: 44% of Asian consumers admit to piracy for streaming content

Rhea-AI Summary

Overloaded with subscriptions and unsure of costs, consumers ditch streaming services in favor of piracy

Positive

• 44% of Asian consumers now access content via illegal piracy sites due to inability to afford subscription services

Negative

• Asian consumers are struggling to afford all the content they want, leading to frustration and potential loss of subscribers for content providers

Overloaded with subscriptions and unsure of costs, consumers ditch streaming services in favor of piracy

CAMBRIDGE, United Kingdom, Oct. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Faced with a cost-of-living crunch, half of Asian consumers (59%) say they can no longer afford all of their subscription services. As a result, 44% now access content via illegal piracy sites. That’s according to a new Bango study, exploring subscription trends and the rise of Super Bundling in Asia.

Bango’s study incorporates data from over 6,000 consumers currently paying for subscription services across India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam.

It found that almost a third (29%) of Asian consumers have 5 or more subscriptions. In regions such as Thailand, however, 63% of consumers say they can no longer afford the subscriptions they want, a figure that rises as high as 79% in Malaysia.

Subscription squeeze

To better keep track of costs, Asian subscribers are looking to manage all of their current subscriptions (streaming, gaming, fitness and more) in one single platform, app, or monthly bill. In fact, the vast majority (91%) believe that having this single platform would help them to better manage their monthly household expenses.

While many subscribers are struggling to afford all the content they want, Bango’s research also highlights a growing frustration managing several different subscription services. 59% are “annoyed” that they can’t manage all of their subscriptions in one place, while a quarter struggle to renew contracts across their various accounts. This is further driving demand for a single ‘Super Bundling’ content hub.

Commenting on this trend, Anil Malhotra, Co-founder at Bango said, “With escalating household expenses and a surge of new entrants in the streaming market, content providers need to ensure they offer subscribers value for money. If they don’t, our data indicates that many consumers will resort to piracy instead.

“Telcos in the region have a major role to play, by helping subscribers make sense of their subscription commitments. By offering these services through a Super Bundling subscriptions hub, delivered through existing telco billing relationships, telcos and their content partners can take the wind out of the sails of this growing trend towards piracy.”

The demand for Super Bundling

A centralized hub for subscription services would enable simpler, more flexible management which ultimately works to disincentivise piracy. The demand for this type of consolidation is clear across Southeast Asia and India — 93% of consumers want one place to manage subscriptions.

If Super Bundling were available, the data suggests it would increase customer retention and loyalty for telcos, with 89% spending more time using subscriptions, and 81% signing up for more subscriptions. 95% of respondents also say they would feel more loyal to brands offering bundled content hubs, while 66% would even switch telco providers to gain access, underscoring the potential competitive advantage.

“This is where Bango comes in,” Malhotra says. “The Bango Digital Vending Machine makes it simple for telcos to aggregate and bundle subscriptions into a single user-friendly experience. Super Bundling subscriptions all in one place boosts customer satisfaction, making it simple for content providers and telcos to tap into this opportunity.”

To view Bango’s research data, read the full study here.

About Bango

The Bango Digital Vending Machine provides everything you need for subscription bundling and payments, enabling you to quickly reach new customers and markets. Connect once for a standard system of tools used for customer acquisition, payments and subscriptions, and join an ecosystem of over 150 merchants and resellers already connected to the Bango platform. Trusted by leading technology companies including Amazon, Google and Microsoft. For more information, visit www.bango.com.

Media contact
Luke Proctor / Tina Sang
Wildfire
bangoresale@wildfirepr.com

FAQ

What percentage of Asian consumers access content through piracy?

44% of Asian consumers access content via illegal piracy sites.

What is the main reason for consumers resorting to piracy?

Consumers are resorting to piracy due to the inability to afford their subscription services.

What is the percentage of Asian consumers with 5 or more subscriptions?

29% of Asian consumers have 5 or more subscriptions.

What percentage of consumers in Thailand and Malaysia can no longer afford their subscriptions?

63% of consumers in Thailand and 79% in Malaysia can no longer afford their subscriptions.

What percentage of consumers want a single platform to manage their subscriptions?

93% of consumers want one place to manage subscriptions.

What are the potential benefits of Super Bundling for telcos?

Super Bundling could increase customer retention and loyalty, with 89% spending more time using subscriptions and 81% signing up for more subscriptions.

How can telcos and content providers tap into the opportunity of Super Bundling?

Telcos can use the Bango Digital Vending Machine to aggregate and bundle subscriptions into a single user-friendly experience.