27% of UK Streaming Subscribers Cancelled in the Last Year
Streaming services were supposed to be more affordable than cable. For some time, they were. However, prices have crept up ever so slowly, and content has started to become fragmented across platforms, leaving consumers to vote with their wallets.
According to Deloitte Ireland’s Digital Consumer Trend Report, 27% of subscribers cancelled a video streaming service in the last 12 months. That’s up from 24% the year before. And what’s the main reason? Cost.
Why People Are Cancelling
Of those who cancelled, 31% said cost was the primary driver. Another 29% said they simply weren’t using the service enough, and 21% said they needed to cut subscription spending to cover the cost of living elsewhere.
It’s not just an Irish or UK trend, either. Deloitte’s 2025 US Digital Media Trends report said that 47% of American consumers feel they pay too much for streaming. 41% of them said the content simply wasn’t good enough.
It’s clear. Subscribers to streaming services feel like they’re not getting enough for their money. When consumers feel this way, they’ll ultimately cancel, without question.
The Content Problem
Though price is a key issue, it’s not the only problem. Deloitte’s UK research found that a huge driver of cancellation is simply the content.
Now, that might sound a bit weird given the amount of content on these platforms, but more content doesn’t mean more value. When subscribers spend 10+ minutes scrolling and still can’t find something worth watching, the service stops feeling valuable.
This is where other entertainment platforms have taken a much different approach. Online casinos, for example, solve this issue by offering hundreds of games across multiple categories. These include themed slot games all the way to live dealer tables, bingo, etc., and they can be easily searched using filters for type, theme, provider, and popularity.
Spotify has taken a similar approach. Instead of leaving users to scroll through millions of tracks, they’ve built personalised playlists like Discover Weekly and Release Radar. This way, users are presented with new songs (and experiences) without having to do anything.
Such a model is still built around choice, like streaming services, but it makes finding what you want easier, one thing that streaming services struggle to deliver to their consumers.
What Streaming Can Learn
The platforms that have managed to hold onto their subscriber count are the ones adapting the fastest.
Ad-support tiers have done well. Netflix and Amazon Prime have done this to lower their monthly subscription fees. Now, 68% of US streaming households use at least one ad-supported streaming service.
Bundling has also become a thing. Disney+ is the best example of this. They offer a bundle package that offers Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ under one subscription. This works as people feel like they’re getting a deal, which they are.
What streaming services need to do is bring value back to their offerings. Consumers are cancelling for two main reasons. Cost and quality. If they’re able to combat both of these, either through cheaper tiers or bundles, they’ll be able to thrive.
