What drives UK audiences to cancel their streaming subscriptions?

Ad-supported streaming is now a mainstream way to access content in the UK, with 58% of viewers subscribing to at least one platform through an ad-supported tier. As the number of streaming services grows, audiences are increasingly balancing how they access content with how much they are willing to pay.

New data from YouGov Surveys: Serviced shows how this is translating into more active subscription management, with patterns of subscriber churn and platform loyalty shaping how people engage with streaming services.

How are audiences managing their streaming subscriptions in 2026?

Audiences are actively managing how they use streaming services. Around a third of viewers say they keep multiple subscriptions at the same time (33%), while others take a more selective approach. About 17% say they usually stick with one subscription, and 8% subscribe only when something specific interests them.

Switching behaviour is also evident. Around one in three viewers say they have cancelled one service to subscribe to another (32%), while smaller proportions say they switch depending on content (8%) or cost (6%).

At a platform level, loyalty varies, and many services have yet to reach large parts of the audience. Around half of users say they consistently stick with Netflix (50%), compared to 40% for Amazon Prime Video. By contrast, smaller shares say they stick with Disney+ (19%) or Apple TV+ (6%), while switching or cancellation is more common for these platforms (18% and 17% respectively). For some services, a large proportion of audiences have never subscribed, for example, 71% for Apple TV+ and 72% for Paramount+.

What drives churn among streaming subscribers?

Cost is the most widely cited factor influencing decisions to stop using a streaming service (70%). Content also plays a key role, with 41% saying content not being relevant would influence their decision, and 40% citing low quality content. Other factors include the amount of content available (36%) and the number of subscriptions already held (23%).

At a broader level, three-quarters of viewers cite cost and value-related factors (75%), while around seven in ten point to content relevance and quality (69%).

Why do audiences stay with streaming services?

When it comes to staying with a platform, good value for money (60%) and the range of content available (56%) are the most commonly cited factors.

Other considerations include the ability to cancel at any time (36%) and good user experience (36%), reflecting the importance of flexibility and ease of use.

Overall, factors related to content offering are cited by around seven in 10 viewers (69%), while experience and perception-related factors are cited by nearly eight in 10 (79%).

These findings highlight how audiences are taking a more flexible approach to streaming, balancing cost, content and access across platforms.

Methodology:

YouGov Surveys: Serviced provides quick survey results from nationally representative or targeted audiences in multiple markets. This study was conducted online on October 20-27, 2025, with a nationally representative sample of 2,035 adults (aged 16+ years) in Great Britain, using a questionnaire designed by YouGov. Data figures have been weighted by age, gender, education, region and social grade to be representative of all adults in Great Britain (16 years or older) and reflect the latest ONS population estimates.