Longer waits between streaming seasons raise churn concerns for platforms

The gap between seasons of scripted streaming Originals nearly doubled between 2020 and 2025, according to new research from Ampere Analysis.

The firm said the average wait for new seasons on major subscription streaming platforms increased from 12 months in 2020 to 21 months in 2025.

Ampere said major streaming platforms released 599 seasons of scripted Original shows in 2022, exceeding the combined total of 591 released between 2015 and 2019.

The report said demand for high-budget productions contributed to longer production timelines. Titles with gaps of more than 30 months between seasons, including Apple TV’s “Severance” and Netflix’s “Wednesday,” generated nearly twice the average engagement levels in the month of their premieres, based on internet search activity.

Ampere said genre played a role in audience tolerance for delays. Sci-fi and fantasy series continued to perform strongly despite extended waits, while comedy viewers were less willing to wait between seasons. Crime and thriller content showed more consistent performance across different release patterns.

The analysis also found that longer gaps could contribute to higher engagement as audiences revisit earlier seasons or discover shows for the first time. Viewing of Netflix’s “Stranger Things” increased 300% in the second half of 2025 ahead of the show’s fifth and final season, with particularly strong viewing for the first season.

Despite the engagement gains, Ampere warned that long delays between seasons could increase subscriber churn. In the first quarter of 2026, 54% of U.S. respondents said they would likely cancel a subscription if they were not using the service often enough, according to the report.

“Many Original shows build highly dedicated audiences that remain loyal despite increasingly long waits between seasons,” Christen Tamisin, senior analyst at Ampere Analysis, said. “However, streamers need to balance blockbuster production timelines against a steady flow of content. Extended gaps may generate anticipation around flagship titles, but they can also encourage audiences to cancel subscriptions and return only when major shows are back on screen.”

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The analysis covered 1,611 scripted subscription video-on-demand Original seasons across Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, Disney+, HBO Max, Hulu, Netflix, Paramount+ and Peacock.

Kids programming and launch-window titles were excluded from the study.