Netflix 'The OA': Why People Are Canceling Their Subscriptions

Fans of Netflix original The OA are taking a stand against the streaming service after the highly original mystery drama was canceled last month.

Now, subscribers are doing some canceling of their own—ending their subscriptions in protest.

Netflix dropped the series in August, just months after The OA returned for a second season in March.

Fans had hoped Netflix would reverse course but The OA co-creator and star Brit Marling confirmed at the end of August the show really is done and thanked viewers for protesting the cancelation.

Marling said she and show co-creator Zal Batmanglij were "humbled, to be honest floored, by the outpouring of support for The OA."

On Twitter, fans have mobilized to cancel their subscriptions not just because of The OA's cancelation, but other shows, too, including Sense8 and Netflix's package of Marvel superhero shows.

The campaign, under the hashtags #CancelNetflix and #SaveTheOA, has gained considerable support.

"And we're supposed to just sit back and accept the cancellation?! I don't think so. We need the beauty, intelligence and uniqueness of this show. We need all five parts of it," said one person.

Another person who canceled their subscription tweeted: "It's done. I didn't want it to come to this, because in all truth there are creators and actors working with Netflix who I would still love to support. But I won't support a company that values profit over quality. That's why I had to."

On August 5, Marling spoke of being "deeply sad" about the cancelation of the show, telling fans on Instagram: "The first time I heard the news I had a good cry."

"So did one of our executives at Netflix that has been with us since the early days when we were sketching out Hap's basement on the floor of our production office in Queens. It's been an intense journey for everyone who worked on and cared for this story," said Marling.

Netflix does not reveal its viewership data publicly, so it's not known exactly how many people watched The OA's second season, or whether that was a factor in its cancelation.

In March, a Deadline report suggested that Netflix may be canceling some of its shows as they grow more expensive in later seasons. Netflix pays for production costs on its original seasons upfront, as well as a 30 percent premium of the costs, according to Deadline. This means that shows are exclusive to Netflix and cannot be sold elsewhere, as is the case with traditional television programs, which run first on their home network and later air via syndication or streaming.

Netflix attaches a bonus per season produced, which means that some shows become more costly, especially as they reach their third seasons, Deadline claims. That might explain why shows like The OA, the Marvel series and Sense8 were canceled after two or three seasons.

Still, there is some hope that shows might live on elsewhere, as is the case with acclaimed comedy One Day at a Time, which moves to Pop for its fourth season.