The age of streaming has brought with it a wave of exciting new television shows, but with the constant threat of cancellation looming, many viewers are hesitant to commit to a series that may never have a satisfying conclusion.
According to a recent study from YouGov, almost half of Americans (48 percent) either sometimes or always wait until a show concludes before diving in. This trend is particularly prominent among the 18-to-34-year-old age group, with 25 percent always waiting and 34 percent sometimes waiting for an entire show to air before deciding to watch.
So why are viewers so hesitant? Fear of cancellation is a major factor. With so many shows being abruptly axed in recent years, it’s understandable that viewers are hesitant to invest time in a show that may not get a chance to properly wrap up its storylines. In fact, 27 percent of those surveyed said they decide to wait specifically because they’re afraid a show will be cancelled before it reaches a satisfying conclusion.
The survey also revealed that 31 percent of adults who use streaming services estimated one to three of the shows they had started since February 2022 had been cancelled, leaving cliffhangers and sometimes garnering aggressive fan-led campaigns to bring them back. It’s not hard to see why viewers might want to avoid that kind of frustration.
The survey has come out after comes dozens of shows were canceled or ended last year, and sometimes quite abruptly. From Peacock’s Rutherford Falls to CW’s Batwoman to Netflix’s Space Force, many shows met surprise endings in 2022.