A fantastic program is rendered useless if no one can find it. Therefore, the critical question is: how can content be delivered to audiences quickly and effortlessly? This was the central theme of a discussion at the German media conference Medientage München. “Before the fun comes the agony of choice,” noted Lisa Jäger, Partner at consultancy Simon-Kucher. Streaming platforms offer a plethora of content, yet users often struggle to navigate it. Confusing interfaces, inadequate recommendations, and cluttered layouts hinder searching, potentially leading users to cancel their subscriptions.
According to the Global Streaming Study 2025 by Simon-Kucher, content discovery takes an average of 10.5 minutes. This is the time spent browsing before watching. However, this average includes those who already know what they want, meaning the search takes longer for many. The study indicates that both the content itself and its discoverability are the primary purchasing factors, with price coming second. "An increasing number of streamers are overwhelmed by the sheer volume of content and can’t find what they’re looking for fast enough. As a result, this can fuel churn,” Jäger explained. “Ten per cent of respondents who had cancelled a service in the past twelve months cited difficulties finding content as the main reason,” she added.
Contrary to common belief, ad-free viewing is no longer essential for subscribers. Advertising is becoming more accepted. The study reveals that 29% of subscriptions on Netflix and Disney+ now include ads. “However, users value knowing how much time remains in an ad break – it makes the waiting easier,” said Jäger.
Factors like price, content range, flexible cancellation, exclusive titles, ease of use, and ad-free options influence subscription decisions. But the challenge lies in retaining subscribers. Jörn Krieger (Broadband TV News) argued that providers must “keep frustration to a minimum.” Smart design, personalization, and data usage are crucial for improving user experience.
To maximize user engagement, streaming services are focusing on platform design, advanced recommendation systems, and data-driven UX optimization. These are essential for staying relevant in a saturated market and maintaining long-term subscriber loyalty. Josephine Kittner, Senior Vice President Content Strategy, Discovery & Analytics at RTL+, stated, “We have a very extensive portfolio, and navigating it is our core task. Numerous usage data points feed our recommendation algorithm.” Natalie Müller-Elmau, Head of Genre Management for Culture, Science and Partners at ZDF, mentioned that ZDF utilizes "a variety of tools" to promote its content. The algorithm used is publicly accessible at algorithmen.zdf.de. ZDF combines data analysis with programme planner expertise to ensure users discover hidden gems. “We deliberately mix in other content – that’s how we bring surprises to the forefront,” said Müller-Elmau. RTL+ also uses human curation, with the motto “Discovery beats search.” The platform uses a 70/30 ratio of algorithmic recommendations to editorial curation.
Marco Hellberg, Managing Director of Canal+ Germany, uses metadata for personalization. He envisions using this data to automatically create different trailers for specific user groups. However, he emphasizes human curation more than AI: “Human curation beats AI.”