Taiwan's Streaming Market Enters Subscribed User Retention Battle! Netflix Subscription Share Rises to 56%, Subscribers Spend NT$355 Monthly, Over 60% Have Canceled Before

User benefits in Taiwan's streaming video market are gradually reaching their peak, while subscriber spending continues to rise. On the 20th, the Institute for Information Industry’s Market Intelligence & Consulting Institute (MIC) released a survey showing that 72% of surveyed netizens had used online streaming platforms—slightly up from 71.6% the previous year—but the average monthly expenditure among subscribers increased from NT$323 to NT$355. Netflix’s subscription share also rose from 51.4% to 56%. As new user growth slows, platform competition is shifting from 'acquiring users' to a 'retention battle' focused on increasing per-user revenue, boosting viewing engagement, and reducing churn rates.

MIC’s 'Taiwan Video Viewing Behavior Survey' indicates that 38.4% of netizens watch online streaming content almost daily, 24.6% increased their viewing compared to the previous year, while 8.2% watched less. In other words, while the overall user base hasn’t significantly expanded, existing users’ viewing frequency and depth of usage continue to grow.

Hong Qiya, Senior Industry Analyst at MIC, stated that although the scale of online streaming users remains stable year-on-year, viewing depth and payment behaviors among existing users continue to deepen. More subscribers are now subscribing to multiple platforms simultaneously, meaning market growth momentum has shifted toward 'enhancing individual user value'.

Netflix subscription share increases by 4.6 percentage points; free content users decline

Examining changes in major streaming platform subscriptions, Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX) saw its subscription share rise from 51.4% to 56%, an increase of 4.6 percentage points, maintaining its position as the market leader. MIC speculates that stricter management of shared accounts may have prompted more users who previously shared accounts to switch to individual subscriptions.

Disney+ dropped slightly from 22.6% to 22.4%, ranking second. iQIYI rose from 9.5% to 10.5%, Hami Video increased from 7.5% to 8.1%. friDay Video jumped from 3.9% to 6.5%, overtaking LINE TV to enter the top five. Meanwhile, users who only watch free content declined from 24.8% to 22.9%, reflecting a continued deepening of paid video consumption habits.

Subscribers spend NT$355 monthly; over two in ten spend over NT$500

As multi-platform subscriptions become more common, the average monthly spending among streaming subscribers rose from NT$323 to NT$355—an increase of approximately 9.9%. The proportion of subscribers spending over NT$500 per month also grew from 18.3% to 22.1%, exceeding one-fifth of all subscribers.

Among all subscribers, 17.4% increased their subscription spending, while 10.1% reduced their expenses. Clear differences emerge across age groups: 21.6% of those aged 18–25 increased their spending—the highest among all age groups—while 16.4% of those aged 36–45 reduced their spending, a notably higher proportion than other groups.

Data shows that even after overall user scale reaches saturation, platforms can still increase per-user contribution through multi-platform subscriptions and content demand. However, differing disposable budgets, viewing time, and content preferences across generations lead to divergent subscription spending patterns.

Over 60% of subscribers have canceled before; leaving after popular content ends becomes the norm

Notably, increased spending does not necessarily reflect improved user loyalty. The survey reveals that a high 64.4% of streaming subscribers have previously canceled their subscriptions. The top five reasons were: 'rarely watch or no time to watch', 'too expensive', 'subscription budget squeezed by living expenses', 'not much content to watch or already finished', and 'free platform content is sufficient'.

Hong Qiya pointed out that user subscription behavior is highly fluid—they repeatedly switch between platforms depending on viewing time, budget, availability of free alternatives, and program schedules. As viewing needs deepen, users may eventually expand their subscription portfolio, driving overall spending growth.

This implies that the next stage of competition for streaming platforms cannot rely solely on price hikes or launching single hit programs. After series finales, sports events conclude, or promotional periods end, the ability to continuously offer compelling content will directly determine whether platforms can convert short-term traffic into long-term revenue.

This survey was conducted in the fourth quarter of 2025 via online questionnaires, collecting 1,068 valid responses. At a 95% confidence level, the sampling error is ±3 percentage points.