The entire world of media has moved to a subscription base. Most apps are sub based.
This is not AH’s biggest problem.
When you say "media" that is mostly stuff like Netflix and Disney+, etc.
But those services are based on a never ending river of constantly updated new content coming monthly. Constant new content.
If Netflix stopped adding any new shows or movies for 5 years, would people keep their subscription for long?
Subscription models in software are generally hated.
I was a life long Photoshop guy. They went sub, I dumped them and now use something not quite as good, but not subscription. Most users hated the change to sub.
I used to have older versions of MS Office installed. They went sub, I dumped it for Libre Office.
Subscription software is a very hard sell. Most people hate paying for the same software again every month.
It's not impossible, but it is a very big resistance.
That and the graphics are the two biggest beefs I get when I've tried to get others to try out AH. Didn't you have similar reaction with those you talked to?
Subscription and no F2P was probably the biggest common gripe I saw in the Steam reviews.