GoPro hits 750,000 milestone for subscription service

(Image credit: Jamie Carter/Digital Camera World)

The number of GoPro subscribers has surpassed 750,000, the company recently revealed in its annual report.

761,000 users became GoPro subscribers or renewed their subscriptions in 2020 – up 145% on the previous year.

"GoPro's shift to a more subscription-centric consumer-direct model is resulting in a simpler, more profitable business with materially better cash generation," said Nicholas Woodman, GoPro's founder and CEO.

GoPro initially launched the GoPro Plus subscription for cloud storage of photos for $4.99 / £4.99 / AU$6.99 per month in 2016. Users were limited to 62,500 photos or 35 hours of video (or a combination of the two).

The current GoPro subscription is better value. It's $49.99 / £49.99 / AU$69.99 per year (or $4.17 / £4.17 / AU$5.83 per month), and includes unlimited storage, full camera replacement, and up to 50% off gear at GoPro.com. That's a pretty good deal for anyone using their GoPro regularly (there are other fantastic GoPro deals to be found at the moment too).

However, GoPro is pricing the GoPro Hero 9 Black camera with a one-year subscription lower than buying the camera without the subscription, effectively offering a subsidy for those who subscribe for a year. Meanwhile, the older GoPro Hero 8 Black is the same price, with or without the subscription.

Subsequently, some may find these GoPro subscription figures misleading, as it's not a true gauge of how many people are paying for it. In fact, the increase in the number of GoPro subscribers has not resulted in increased revenue for the company, with a 25% decrease over the year.

However, could this show GoPro's vision for the future? Giving a discount to customers to sign up for a service they're getting for free for a year might seem like it's throwing revenue away. But as GoPro has long had problems generating predictable and recurring revenue, signing customers up to a (currently free) cloud service may be a way to start building recurring revenue. It also begins building a direct relationship with consumers.

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Laurence is an NCTJ-trained journalist with nearly 20 years' editorial experience gained on a wide range of publications, from The Beirut Times in Lebanon to The Sunday Times, and including recent freelance engagements with Future's cycling and automotive portfolios, Outdoor Fitness, and The English Home. He has recently been undertaking a sports broadcast journalism MA at Southampton Solent, gaining valuable TV and radio experience, and am currently videographer for Frome Town FC soccer team. He is the author of Bikepacking (Wild Things Publishing, 2016).