The GuardianThe Guardian

I quit Netflix, bought an aerial and went back to free TV. Was it worth the savings?

By Drew Millard

20 Oct 2022 · 14 min read

Editor's Note

Netflix announced that it had lost approximately 1 million subscribers in just three months, one Guardian writer joined them to see what impact it would have on his life.

In July, Netflix announced that it had lost approximately 1 million subscribers in just three months. It was a remarkable reversal of fortunes for a company that, just a year ago, seemed to be on an unstoppable path to global domination – and although it has regained some subscribers this month, the company is still struggling to retain viewers in the long term.

That’s because with the price of everything rising, many people are hoping to save cash – and breaking up with a streaming services is an easy fix. In a 2021 survey conducted by Financebuzz, 46% of respondents said they spent over $50 a month on streaming and a new survey found that one in four of Netflix’s remaining customers are considering dropping the service by the end of the year.

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