How the calculator works
Every model starts from the same number: the people who reach your app or website each month. Each model then turns a share of those visitors into revenue in a different way.
- SVOD converts visitors into paying subscribers. Each month new subscribers join and a share cancel (churn), so revenue climbs until sign-ups and cancellations balance out.
- AVOD converts more visitors into free viewers and earns from ads: watch hours × ads per hour × fill rate × CPM ÷ 1,000.
- TVOD earns from one-off rentals or purchases each month, with no recurring base.
- Hybrid runs a paid tier and a free ad tier together. Visitors who subscribe are not counted again as free viewers.
Which numbers move revenue most
For subscriptions, churn usually matters more than price. Cutting churn from 8% to 5% raises steady-state subscribers by 60%, because each subscriber stays longer. For ads, revenue grows with watch time and reach, so AVOD rarely wins below a few hundred thousand monthly visitors.
Use the break-even month to sanity-check your plan. If no model covers your operating cost within 12 months, look at acquisition, a hybrid model or localized pricing before cutting price across the board.
Choosing a model
Read our guides on OTT subscription plans and SVOD vs VOD for the tradeoffs behind each model. Then check delivery costs with the bandwidth and CDN cost calculator.