Actors strike: US streaming users more likely to cancel, with Hulu hardest hit

US streamers are likely to see higher churn as a result of perceptions about the impact of the SAG-AFTRA actors strike on original content, according to research by Whip Media.

Based on how consumers perceive the potential impact of the strike today, every major SVOD is likely to see higher churn if a strike significantly delays new US original programming, according to the study.

According to the study, users of major SVOD services are between 1.8 and 3.4 times more likely to cancel as a result of perceptions about the impact of the strike.

Paramount+, Peacock and Apple TV+, whose potential churners are already high relatively as a proportion of subscribers, are also likely to see the highest potential churn rates among streamers as a result of the strike, but other players will see bigger jumps in the number of those considering cancelling their service.

While Hulu started with among the lowest proportion of subscribers who said they might cancel, it saw the largest increase on that measure when people considered the impact of the strike on new US original programming.

Netflix meanwhile appears to be least vulnerable to the impact of the strike on delays in release of new US original programming; it was the only service to see less than a 100% increase.

Whip media surveyed its US panel of 2,011 TV and film consumers between July 7-17. Respondents were aged between 18-54.