The average person maintains 3.4 active paid subscriptions and spends $35.03 a month on them, according to the Self Financial Study.
Nearly 60% of respondents report at least one paid subscription goes unused each month; on average, 2.6 subscriptions sit idle, representing $26.79 in monthly waste.
Among streaming services, STARZ tops the list of least-watched: 49.6% of its subscribers said they had not used their account in 30 days or more in 2026. Disney+ ranked second at 44.4%, followed by Netflix at 38.1%.
Price hikes are fueling greater interest in illegal streaming. 57.6% of respondents said rising costs make them more inclined to stream TV and movies illegally—up from 45.7% in 2025. The trend may intensify as services continue increasing rates; Peacock, for example, announced its fourth consecutive annual price increase this week.
Despite widespread frustration, most people do not cancel. Sixty-seven percent of those surveyed said they wanted to cancel a paid subscription but did not. Fear of missing out on content was the top reason, with forgetfulness a close second.
The findings underscore a core problem of the subscription economy: it is easy to lose track of recurring charges, and the cumulative cost of unused services can become substantial.