The “Subscriptions Assemble” study from Bango — which surveyed 5,000 US subscribers — reveals new trends, including Americans swapping their standalone subscriptions for combined ‘bundle’ deals. According to the data, Nearly a quarter of American subscribers (23%) spend over $100 per month on streaming and subscription services ($1200+ per year), and the average American pays for 5.4 subscriptions — of which two are now paid for as part of a bundle package or similar deal.
“Our research reveals a major shift in the multi-billion dollar subscription industry. For the first time, America is moving beyond the ‘subscription economy’ and into a ‘bundle economy’ — where platforms aren’t competing in isolation but teaming up to offer more value to subscribers," commented Paul Larbey, CEO at Bango. “That’s why we named this report Subscriptions Assemble — it’s not about the streaming ‘wars,’ it’s about collaboration. Streaming platforms, gaming services, and even AI subscriptions are now working together, building on each other’s ecosystems, and tapping into the audiences of telcos, retailers, and even banks. The way Americans pay for, use, and manage subscriptions is undergoing an unprecedented shift. Those who move quickly and embrace this change will be best placed to take advantage of the newly emerging bundle economy.”
More than half of subscribers (55%) now get these ‘indirect’ subscriptions via their cell phone providers, while 34% access and pay for them through a retailer such as Walmart (Walmart+) or Amazon (Prime). By signing up to bundles, rather than going direct, savvy subscribers are cutting costs. 44% now get a subscription they used to pay for free of charge, thanks to a bundled deal — rising to 55% for 18-24 year-olds.
But, Bango’s report argues the move towards bundles is just as much about convenience and flexibility. 41% of subscribers are annoyed that they can’t manage all of their subscriptions in one place, while 62% say they’d rather have a bundle than sign up for individual services.
Nearly two-thirds of subscribers (63%) go as far as to demand one app to manage all of their subscriptions and streaming services. The rise of services like ‘Verizon +play’ have helped popularize this type of all-in-one ‘Super Bundle’.
While video streaming remains the most popular subscription (75%), nearly two thirds of US subscribers (62%) pay for a retail subscription, while nearly a quarter (22%) pay for a gaming subscription.
New markets are also opening up, with 1 in 10 subscribers now paying a monthly subscription for an AI service like ChatGPT (9%).