Stranger Things.
The media industry's pivot to streaming has disrupted one of its most enduring strategic frameworks: the content window. While the traditional model thrived on scarcity and staggered release schedules, today’s binge-driven landscape has collapsed the temporal scaffolding that once encouraged long-term audience engagement. A new study by Hub Entertainment Research, titled “Window Pains,” argues that resolving this disruption will require a deeper understanding of viewer psychology—specifically, the Zeigarnik Effect—and a reinvention of content discovery.
The report opens with a psychological insight that still resonates nearly a century later. In 1927, Russian psychologist Bluma Zeigarnik discovered that people remember unfinished tasks more vividly than completed ones. Known as the Zeigarnik Effect, this principle helped define 20th-century media strategies: by leaving narrative loops open through weekly episodes and staggered distribution, content creators maximized engagement, memory retention, and revenue.
But the streaming era has rewritten those rules. According to Hub’s “Conquering Content” study, 64% of viewers now say they prefer to binge shows all at once. That preference is reshaping consumer behavior in profound ways. More than half of all streaming users now identify as “revolving door churners”—people who sign up for a service, binge a specific show, and cancel immediately after. This short-term engagement model erodes customer lifetime value and drives constant reacquisition costs for platforms.
Data from Hub’s TV Churn Tracker reveals that churn among streaming subscribers has surged from 35% in 2020 to 52% in 2024—a double-digit increase in just four years. The core problem, according to Hub, is that the binge model closes the narrative loop too quickly. Once viewers finish a series, the psychological tension that kept them engaged disappears, and with it, the incentive to stay subscribed.
“Binge releases create a lot of urgency, but zero longevity,” the report states. “Once the content is exhausted, the transaction is complete, the viewer disengages, and the entire customer acquisition cycle begins again.” This dynamic turns content into a utility, consumed in bursts and discarded, rather than a long-term relationship.
To counteract this churn, Hub proposes a new engagement paradigm rooted in what it calls “open-door discovery.” While traditional windowing rationed content over time, discovery doors invite audiences in through curiosity. These touchpoints include cryptic teasers, social clips, fan theories, interactive installations, and user-generated content (UGC)—all of which create narrative tension that lingers even after an episode or season ends.
The report highlights real-world success stories. Netflix’s “Stranger Things” maintained fan interest during season gaps through coded teasers and Reddit threads, while “Squid Game” built anticipation with a months-long drip campaign of partial visuals. “The Last of Us” extended its reach via TikTok filters and Google Easter eggs, enhancing its post-apocalyptic world outside of HBO’s platform.
For younger viewers, these discovery doors are particularly potent. Among audiences aged 25–34, 66% say they discover new shows through TikTok and Instagram. UGC not only draws them in but multiplies reach, as fans create their own content that further fuels engagement. Shows like “Wednesday” have turned fan dances and memes into official promotional strategies, blurring the line between marketing and fandom.
Hub also cites “Severance” as a case study in immersive marketing. Apple TV+ brought the show's eerie corporate world to life with an office installation at New York’s Grand Central Station, turning passive commuters into active participants. These real-world touchpoints act as narrative extensions, allowing content to persist in the cultural conversation well beyond its premiere date.
The report concludes with a call to action for content publishers: embrace the psychology of unfinished business. "To stay top-of-mind today, platforms must design for open-door discovery,” it asserts. This means using short-form content, social media loops, teasers, podcasts, and Easter eggs not just to promote a release, but to keep the narrative loop open indefinitely.
As the streaming ecosystem matures, those who master the balance between access and anticipation will win the battle for attention. Zeigarnik may never have imagined TikTok or “continue watching” trays, but her insights into the power of unresolved tension remain more relevant than ever. In a saturated market with infinite options, the winners will be those who know how to keep a story unfinished—just enough to bring viewers back for more.