ORLANDO, Fla. – After a surge in cord-cutting and rapid adoption of streaming services both during and after the pandemic, many Americans are now experiencing what can be described as “entertainment overindulgence.”
In simpler terms: streaming fatigue.
What was once a golden age of affordable, premium content from newcomers like Disney+, Apple TV+, Paramount+, and Peacock – alongside stalwarts like Netflix, Amazon Prime, HBO (Max), ESPN+, YouTube Premium, and Hulu – has become an exhausting overwhelming sprawl of choices.
The number of platforms has exploded, but our hours in a day have not.
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And streaming fatigue doesn’t stop at video. Audio platforms like Spotify, Audible, Apple Music, YouTube Music, Tidal, and Sirius XM also vie for monthly dollars (and your time), adding to the sea of subscriptions.
The initial thrill of binge-worthy programming has faded, replaced by decision fatigue and subscription burnout. It’s a lot like overeating at a buffet: After sampling everything, many customers are now tapping out.
Subscription tracker Antenna estimates U.S. video subscriptions are up 10% over last year and now total around 339 million. But while total video streaming subscriptions keep climbing, fatigue and churn (switching/cancellation) are also surging in parallel especially among Gen-Z subscribers and those with household incomes under $50,000 – though not at the same rate. That same Gen-Z group is also prone to “subscription hopping” with over 1 in 5 rotating or canceling streaming services weekly (five times the rate of Baby Boomers).
Surveys by Hub Entertainment Research, Deloitte, and Reach3 Insights reveal that consumers now typically spend $83 per month on streaming, with most feeling the pinch as that figure approaches their maximum comfort zone ($86 per month). Forty-one percent of consumers say the content available on streaming video services isn’t worth the price, and 46% of those who’ve cut back on entertainment spending have canceled one or more streaming services with nearly two-thirds citing cost as the primary reason.
In a 2025 report from GWI, 52% of U.S. TV watchers say streaming subscriptions are becoming too expensive, with the number one reason for cancelations being cost (39%) followed by a price hike (32%). And eMarketer, a marketing, ads, and commerce research firm, said in its Digital Video Forecast and Trends Q1 2025 report that subscription fees for ad-free streaming platforms “have greatly outpaced inflation and pay TV increases since 2023.”
A USA Today article recently noted that nearly every aspect of modern life now comes with a monthly fee – everything from food delivery to ride-sharing to fitness classes, digital storage, and even productivity software.
In their second annual subscription survey, CNET researchers found that the typical American adult spends $1,080 each year on subscriptions, averaging $90 a month. CNET also said that 26% of those surveyed have already canceled a paid subscription and on average, subscribers reported spending more than $200 a month on unused services (not just streaming).
Consumers are feeling oversubscribed, and streaming is the low-hanging-fruit when it comes to getting your monthly spending back on track.
So, why cut back on streaming when there are other places to trim the fat? Even home-theater furniture company Octane Seating – not exactly a well-known media firm – surveyed 1,000 consumers on their viewing habits and found:
- 76% of Americans spend money each month on video content (only 1 in 4 don’t pay anything for video).
- Only 11% of Americans in 2025 finish what they watch.
- 2 in 5 of those surveyed admit to watching content they don’t like just to keep up on social conversations.
Content providers, however, have already recognized the trend toward cutting back and have taken steps to reduce churn. Some of these steps have been in place for a while – though many consumers didn’t realize they were responses to increased cancelations.
According to research consultant firm Simon-Kucher & Partners:
- Platforms like Netflix have introduced ad-supported tiers to combat subscription fatigue.
- Others, including Prime Video, Paramount+, and Apple TV+ are expanding into live content and sports to boost engagement. Netflix in particular has also leaned into gaming.
- Platforms are also shifting to short-form content. Nearly 55% of 18 to 39-year-olds say they’ve replaced streaming time with social media, a telling sign of shifting habits.
Another major trend aimed at reducing churn: bundling (both ad-supported and commercial-free). Companies have introduced these lower-cost options in an effort to restore both affordability and convenience.
According to BroadBandTVNews.com, Prime Video now integrates over 160 additional channels as part of its bundled offerings. Max, Paramount+, AMC+, and Discovery+ are all on the bundling wagon, saving consumers a significant amount of money when buying access to more channels.
One of the more popular bundles, The Disney Bundle (Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+), is currently being offered for $29.99 a month for 12 months. Don’t care for sports? You can swap out ESPN+ for Max or even save about a third of the cost with just Disney+ and Hulu.