4th May 2023, Cambridge, UK: The global subscription economy is set to grow by 81% in the next three years, reaching a global market value of $599 billion by 2026.
Reflecting the ongoing demand for subscription services in the US, the number of subscriptions per adult is also forecast to more than double, rising to 5.3, from 2.2 in 2018.
That’s according to the latest report from Juniper Research, created in partnership with Super Bundling technology company Bango. The whitepaper, ‘How telcos must capitalize on the Super Bundling opportunity’, found that the total number of subscriptions globally is expected to reach 4.2 billion by 2026.
The top subscription categories
The research identified the top three categories for subscriptions in 2023:
- Digital Video, with a current global market value of $60bn
- Digital Music, currently worth $41bn
- Physical Goods Boxes (such as food & recipe boxes, or regular hygienic products) currently worth $102bn
By 2026, it is expected that there will be over 790 million subscriptions to digital video, over 810 million digital music subscriptions, and over 920 million subscriptions to physical goods boxes.
Driven by the continued migration of services from one-off fees to a subscription model, the report has found that this market growth is offering service providers a more efficient model for managing cash flow in the short term. This is fuelling a new market for ‘Super Bundles’, in which the management of several subscription services is centralized into a single hub for consumers.
The Super Bundling opportunity
In the context of the challenges faced by the telecoms industry — declining ARPU (Average Revenue per User) and increasing customer acquisition costs — the report finds that Super Bundling represents a clear opportunity for telcos to boost both customer acquisition and retention.
Commenting on the growth projections for subscriptions, Sam Barker, Head of Analytics & Forecasting at Juniper Research, said: “There is one evident takeaway [from the research]: there are obvious and immediate opportunities for telcos to capitalize on this growth. This will be done by offering Super Bundling services to mobile subscribers.”
The report explains that “Super Bundling services consist of a single payment to a telco for multiple subscription services. This will provide benefits to consumers such as easier management of subscriptions and fewer card-on-file payments throughout a billing period.”
Anil Malhotra, Co-founder of Bango, the platform used by leading telcos to offer super-bundling, added: “Last year, the landmark Bango subscriber survey found that 78% of subscribers want a single platform to manage all their subscriptions. Our latest research with Juniper makes clear the opportunity for telcos willing to provide that platform and help their customers manage an ever-increasing number of subscription services.
“Some of the most innovative telco brands have already committed to Super Bundling, evidenced by Verizon’s ‘+play’ content hub in the US and Optus’ ‘SubHub’ in Australia. Through these subscription hubs, subscribers can enjoy a range of services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+, as well as lifestyle, gaming, education subscriptions and more, all managed through a single monthly telco bill.
“At the same time, subscription providers can reach larger audiences without the need to directly compete. The result is more choice for consumers, greater reach for subscription providers, and a potential new source of revenue and improved retention for telco brands.”
To view the full Juniper Research whitepaper , follow the link here.
About Bango
The Bango platform 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 (NASDAQ: AMZN), Google (NASDAQ: GOOG), Samsung (005930: Korea SE), and Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT). For more information, visit www.bango.com.
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