▶ Chiikawa 362-episode free marathon broadcast: ABEMA's challenge to turn 'free enthusiasm' into paid subscriptions [7/26]
To commemorate the release of the first Chiikawa movie, 'Chiikawa the Movie: The Secret of Mermaid Island,' ABEMA will reopen the 'Official Chiikawa Free Channel' for a limited five-day period starting Saturday, August 1st.
From 12:00 PM on August 1st to 12:00 PM on August 5th, the TV anime 'Chiikawa' will be broadcast in a non-stop, free marathon of episodes 1 through 362, and each episode will be available to watch for free for one week after the broadcast.
'Chiikawa' is a popular manga that originated on X by Nagano. It was adapted into an anime in April 2022 and boasts popularity on the level of a social phenomenon, having won the 'Japan Character Award' Grand Prix three times.
The movie is based on the original long-form 'Siren Arc' and was released on July 24th.
What is noteworthy this time is the 'massive marathon broadcast' method, which opens up an overwhelming volume of 362 episodes all at once.
The long-duration 'binge-watching' experience is expected to significantly boost viewer time spent on the app and maximize fan enthusiasm during the period coinciding with the movie's release.
Such massive marathon broadcasts are considered a trend that streaming companies will increasingly adopt as a strategy to simultaneously acquire new viewers and prevent churn.
The idea of designing the 'contact time' itself with a work is becoming the focus of streaming competition.
Meanwhile, ABEMA operates a two-tier billing model: 'ABEMA Premium' at 1,180 yen per month (tax included) and 'ABEMA Premium with Ads' at 680 yen per month (tax included).
It is a funnel design that attracts a large number of users with free broadcasts while converting them to paid tiers through added value such as exclusive features and ad-free viewing.
However, since the hurdle for paid conversion rises as the appeal of free access increases, optimizing the revenue balance between free and paid will continue to be a difficult management challenge.
ABEMA will celebrate its 10th anniversary in April 2026, and this project is positioned as part of those commemorative developments.
Free marathon broadcasts are now a standard method for 'streaming bait.'
How to connect viewers who leave after watching to paid subscriptions is the biggest challenge shared by streaming operators both in Japan and abroad.
Overseas, this challenge has been tackled with several clear approaches.
The first is a 'return to weekly distribution.'
Even Netflix, the creator of binge-watching culture, has experimented with split releases for shows like 'Stranger Things,' and Disney+ has created a situation where 'if you want to watch it, you have no choice but to keep your subscription' by releasing Marvel works in small weekly installments.
Research from Carnegie Mellon University reports that episodic releases have a 48% higher short-term retention rate than binge releases.
The second is 'bundling,' where the three-company set of Disney+, Hulu, and Max recorded an 80% three-month retention rate.
The third is 'win-back'.
Data shows that about 40% of those who cancel return within a year, so the competition has begun to include designs that assume churn and focus on bringing users back.
However, a culture of 'subscribing only when I want to watch' is already deeply rooted in Japan.
Professional baseball fans cancel their SKY PerfecTV! Pro Baseball Set after the season ends and resubscribe before the opening of the next spring season.
They subscribe to DAZN to watch the J.League and pause it during the off-season.
Such 'seasonal subscriptions' are, in a sense, a healthy coexistence between serial churners and the services.
So, what approach is effective for anime fans?
The key is likely a 'mechanism to prevent interruptions'.
This includes a weekly model that keeps subscriptions active through weekly releases of new episodes, the expansion of the work's world through the constant supply of related works and spin-offs, and designing perks for the fandom such as merchandise and advance screenings.
Just as the broadcasting industry once chased 'viewership ratings,' streaming services chase 'engagement time,' and now they are even beginning to design 'how to say goodbye' and 'how to return'.
Can Chiikawa's deep-rooted fandom turn free enthusiasm into a paid habit?
It is an interesting point.