THE SUBSCRIPTION GAP

You have six subscriptions, can't remember what's on any of them, and still can't find something to watch. Welcome to the subscription economy in 2026.

Get the full Subscription Signals 2026 report here: https://bango.com/reports/reserve-report/?utm_campaign=2026_Campaigns_SubscriberReport_ReserveReportMO

In this episode, Evan and Marion dig into Bango's Subscription Signals 2026 report: an annual study of subscription attitudes and behaviors across the US and UK. Then they are joined by Giles Tongue, VP of Marketing at Bango, to break down the findings.

Bango is a white-label subscription bundling platform that powers the backend infrastructure behind multi-service bundles, allowing mobile operators, retailers, and pay TV providers to offer multiple subscriptions under one bill. The report paints a picture of a subscription economy under real strain: consumers feel they're overspending, they can't remember what they subscribe to or which platform holds what content, and discovery is broken. At the same time, the shift toward third-party bundling is accelerating, and a new generation of "savvy subscribers" is rethinking the entire relationship between cost, ads, and access.

Key Takeaways:

1. UK Subscribers Spend More Despite Fewer Bundling Traditions

UK consumers average 5.7 subscriptions, spending roughly £68 ($90) a month, compared to 5.2 subscriptions and $69 a month in the US. The gap is partly because US pay TV providers like Comcast and Charter bundle broadband, mobile, and TV into a single household bill, making it appear as one subscription rather than several. The UK is catching up, with Sky recently launching a master bundle including Disney, HBO, and Netflix for around £24 a month.

2. Consumers Feel Overcharged and Gen Z Is Reaching a Breaking Point

Almost 25% of US consumers and nearly a third of UK consumers say they spend more on subscriptions than they can afford. Among Gen Z in the US, that number jumps to 41%. At the same time, attitudes toward ads have shifted dramatically: in 2024, 78% of subscribers strongly opposed ads on paid tiers, but now 36% of Americans say they'd accept double the ad load in exchange for a lower price. Among Gen Z and Millennials, that figure climbs to roughly half. The era of the ad-free subscriber is ending.

3. Viewers Are Loyal to Shows and Talent, Not Platforms

Nearly 60% of consumers in both the US and UK say they are more loyal to an individual show than to the platform delivering it. The data reinforces this: only 13% of people who watch Severance know it's on Apple TV+, and only 18% correctly identified Game of Thrones as an HBO show. Instead, most attributed it to Netflix. This makes a free tier essential for every streamer: if consumers are going to serial churn, a free ad-supported front porch keeps them in the ecosystem.

4. Content Discovery Is Broken and the Industry Is Profiting From the Problem

In the US, 30% of subscribers spend 30 minutes or more searching for something to watch. In the UK it's 41%, and among Gen Z it rises to 48% in the US and 56% in the UK. Platforms are actively monetizing this search friction through home screen advertising rather than fixing it. And that will cost them in acquisition, retention, and time spent over the long run. Giles points to AI-powered discovery tools like Liberty Group's Super Search as a glimpse of what the solution could look like.

5. Bundling Is the Future

Over a third of US subscribers and 39% of UK subscribers now get their subscriptions through third-party bundles via banks, mobile operators, or retailers rather than subscribing directly. That number is only growing year on year. Consumers say they trust mobile operators most to deliver their bundles ahead of pay TV providers. Giles' headline warning for the industry: telcos that don't keep delivering excellent bundled experiences risk having their own customers bundled inside someone else's platform. As he puts it, "bundle or be bundled."

Thank you to Giles Tongue for joining the pod!

Giles Tongue - https://www.linkedin.com/in/gilestongue/

Bango - https://www.linkedin.com/company/bango/

Interested in sponsorship? https://forms.gle/2LCWfX2HBNT8mtpx8

Connect with us on Linkedin:

Evan Shapiro - https://www.linkedin.com/in/eshap-media-cartographer/

Marion Ranchet - https://www.linkedin.com/in/marionranchet/

The Media Odyssey Podcast - https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-media-odyssey-podcast

00:00 Gen Z Streaming Struggle

00:37 Report Drop and StreamTV Buzz

01:10 What Bango Actually Does

02:50 UK vs US Subscription Math