Stream like the stars: Keep on subscribing, maybe watching

By LYNN ELBER
AP Television Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Ask Cedric the Entertainer how many streaming subscriptions he shells out for, and he figures he’s got them all. The actor-comedian is not alone, with other celebrities also admitting they have a streaming habit. They’re not unusual: Nearly 75 percent of U.S. households had a video streaming subscription as of the second quarter of this year. While a third have one service, research shows the average number is 3.8. What media companies have to guard against is “churn,” the name for subscribers who drop a service in favor of another. The highest proportion of churners is found among those age 16 to 34, which includes Generation Z and younger millennials.