Disney Plus has just played an ace in the streaming world, and Netflix should take note

I’m sure I’m not alone in regularly having at least one calendar reminder set to ‘cancel [insert music or movie streaming service]’ for the day or two before a free trial is due to end.

Sadly, the inflated price of such entertainment services makes it difficult for many to subscribe to more than a couple at any given time, although frequent free trial offers and no locked-in contracts at least mean it is easy to flip-flop between them when it suits us, while keeping monthly costs down.

We’ve found a way to tackle the paradox of choice, but have the streaming services themselves? How do they keep people locked in?

Disney Plus has a solution, and I wish Netflix and others would follow suit. Last week, Disney expanded its ‘Perks’ programme, giving US Disney Plus users 12 non-streaming offers they can take advantage of as part of their subscription, from a free six-month DoorDash DashPass membership and 20 per cent off Adidas, to Walt Disney World Resort savings and opportunities to win tickets to movie premieres.

According to the Disney Perks webpage, the initiative is, “Our way of saying thanks!” Or, I’d argue, an appeal: “Please don’t unsubscribe, Adidas-wearing takeaway obsessives!”

Whether or not those very particular perks would sway you to stay loyal to Disney Plus would naturally depend on how you personally value those particular discounts. Me? I would probably be roped in for the six months of DoorDash, and then still cancel.

But the ‘perks’ list will supposedly expand over time, and the concept itself is a good idea.

I’ve written before how I think it would make sense for music and movie streaming companies to partner and bundle services for discounted rates – Netlix and Spotify for £3 / $3 / AU$5 off the combined monthly price, for example – but going beyond the catalogue by offering retail and entertainment experience discounts is also, I believe, an attractive avenue for the consumer.

Would I be more likely to switch from Tidal to, say, Qobuz if the latter offered me a 10 per cent discount on gig tickets from Ticketmaster? Would I show unwavering loyalty to Netflix if my subscription gave me weekly discounted cinema tickets or money off, say, Uber? Most likely.

Amazon has, of course, always been in the perfect position to offer ‘other’ benefits, with its Prime package bundling in the Prime Video streaming service, (limited) music and book catalogues, exclusive Amazon deals and free (and often next-day) delivery – even though those ‘extras’ are only within the Amazon ecosystem.

I don’t think it would be unfair of me to say that Prime Video wouldn’t have as many users as it does today if it weren’t for the overall Prime package.

Similarly, Apple also has its One subscription, bundling its music and video streaming services with its superior news and storage options – appealing only for avid Apple users, mind you.

In its early days, MUBI used to offer subscribers a free weekly handpicked cinema ticket (which, such is the way of the world, has since become an exclusive benefit of a new pricier tier). It was a real boon; I used it most weeks, and it kept me subscribed.

Netflix may believe its strength of catalogue warrants the £12.95 / $17.99 / AU$18.99 monthly charge alone, but the competition is only getting fiercer while pricing and consumer expectations are only going one way.

Will ‘just’ good movies and TV shows always be enough? I’m not so sure it will, and Disney offering extra incentives for subscribers to stay loyal in the US (other markets will hopefully follow) will only put pressure on rivals to give beyond its catalogue offering, no matter how strong it is.

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