As the title says, there is no doubt that subscription services are here to stay. They are money generators that businesses, large and small, have gotten very enticed into implementing, and that means everyone else will need to budget very tightly if one wants to access that particular service or software app.

Just 20 years ago, all you really needed for premium entertainment was a cable or satellite service with a selection of plans to watch whatever you wanted. Today? It’s all streaming services with subscriptions tied to them. A lot of streaming services. Netflix, along with Peacock, Max, Paramount+, Disney+: almost every large production company made the ‘convenient’ choice to consolidate their content (almost exclusively) to their service. Even those like Amazon and Apple have been competition for a while now and have been among top suitors for streaming live sports and entertainment.

Once upon a time, all of that was on-demand under one or two outside hubs. Now it’s scattered among these few production-owned services. There are some that still can run cable networks and other on-demand content via streaming (e.g. Sling TV, YouTube TV). These cable alternatives should suffice for the ‘cut the cord’ customers.

For some, it can be convenient to choose whichever service is best suited for the individual. It is even more convenient to possess the ability to watch these services on just about any device of choice beyond the television: smartphones, tablets, computers, etc. With all that said, pricing can be a factor for some. The increases that occur can be a challenge to keep up with, although as of now, it is still less expensive than cable or satellite. This can and will likely change as the demand continues to rise for more exclusive content. This is not counting the price to pay for broadband services, home and mobile.

For apps, the ability to use subscriptions (monthly or annually) to keep apps profitable has been considered a pillar of success. In the past, a one-and-done purchase approach was sufficient enough to get by. But the adoption of subscriptions has given the developer(s) the chance to update and supply new features for their apps all the while gaining a streaming flow of revenue. It makes sense if you are one of those developers looking to continue to service the loyalists and potentially introduce new additions on top of that.

I can definitely understand the sentiments of why some people will invest in subscriptions to have some control over what content bests suit them. I can also empathize with those that wish that the old way would still continue on. Now, while cable and satellite, along with other one-and-done purchases, still exist today, it has become increasingly expensive to maintain. An example would be Microsoft Office (also known as Microsoft 365). Currently, they have both the 365 monthly and annual subscription option to use all of Office on up to 5 devices for a set price and the one-time purchase option to use for either Windows or MacOS. The downside with this is you would have to use purchase 365 separately for any mobile device as they will only run the full benefits with a subscription.

At the end of the day, the choices will be left up to the customer as to what services are of importance to them. However, business decisions have recently come across that certain content can only be exclusively available for that streaming service and no other. Does it make sense? It does, but I’d be untruthful if I didn’t say it’s a lot to keep up with, especially for those that want to ‘cut the cord.’ It’s the new way of things, nowadays, and businesses and developers must keep up with bringing in that revenue.