Key findings:

  • Nearly half of Americans (49%) changed their streaming subscriptions in the past six months.
  • Cost drives cancellations, with two-thirds (66%) saying they cancel because services are too expensive.
  • Three-quarters (74%) consider cost when choosing a service, compared to 51% who focus on content variety and 31% who look for free trials.
  • Unused subscriptions remain widespread, with 36% paying for at least one streaming service they haven’t used in six months.

In a crowded streaming market, how are Americans managing which services they keep, cancel, or try? A YouGov Surveys: Self-serve poll sheds light on how US adults handle their media subscriptions — and what drives their decisions.

According to the survey, over half of Americans (49%) have made changes to their streaming subscriptions in the past six months. This includes 16% who signed up for a new service, another 16% who canceled an existing one, and 17% who did both. Meanwhile, 38% report no change in their subscriptions, and 10% say they do not use any streaming services at all.

Among those who canceled at least one subscription, the leading reason by far is cost. Two-thirds (66%) cite price as a factor, followed by 26% who say they had already watched the content they were interested in. A smaller portion (15%) switched to another platform, while fewer cite lack of original content (8%).

Nearly three-quarters of Americans cite price as a factor to consider when it comes to subscribing to a new service (74%). Content variety is the second most common reason (51%), and nearly one-third (31%) say the availability of a free trial influences their choice. Other considerations include convenience (27%), personal recommendations (26%), and cancellation policies (22%). Celebrity endorsements play a minimal role, with only 2% mentioning them as a factor.

Bundled streaming packages, which combine multiple platforms, may appeal to a segment of the population, but enthusiasm is mixed. While 40% of Americans said they are likely to subscribe to such bundles, 34% said they are unlikely to do so. Another 18% remained neutral.

Despite concerns over cost, many Americans still hold onto streaming services they haven’t used recently. More than a third of respondents (36%) say they have at least one active subscription they haven’t used in the past six months. Among these, 15% have one unused subscription, and 8% have two. A small group (3%) report having more than five unused services.

As streaming platforms continue to compete for attention — and dollars — these findings suggest that Americans are both price-sensitive and willing to shop around. Services that fail to deliver ongoing value risk being dropped, especially as users become more strategic in managing their subscriptions.

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Methodology: YouGov polled 1,000 US adults online on September 9, 2025. The survey was carried out through YouGov Surveys: Self-serve. Data is weighted by age, gender, race, political affiliation, education level, and region. The margin of error is 3% for the overall sample.

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