According to Bango’s “Subscription Signals” report, American consumers are increasingly willing to make a trade-off that was once unthinkable: accepting more ads in exchange for lower subscription fees.
The research reveals that 36% of Americans would tolerate twice as many advertisements if it meant a reduction in monthly costs, a figure that climbs to 46% among Millennials and 49% for Gen Z. With the average US user managing 5.2 subscriptions at a cost of $69 per month ($830 annually), nearly 23% of all subscribers, and 41% of Gen Z, admit they are spending more on these services than they can comfortably afford. A similar sentiment is seen in Europe.
This openness to ad-supported models varies across platforms, with Apple TV+ users being the most receptive at 52%, followed by subscribers of Disney+ (48%), Max (47%), Netflix (44%), and Amazon Prime Video (40%). Industry experts suggest that as subscription fatigue sets in, the traditional aversion to ads is declining, making “affordability and flexibility” just as decisive as content quality in the current streaming landscape.
