Are People More Willing To Tolerate Ads If It Means Lower Subscription Costs?

Paying extra to avoid adverts once felt like the whole point of a streaming subscription. That is now starting to change in households across Britain and the United States. New research from Bango shows that many viewers would accept more advertising if it meant paying less each month.

But are Brits willing to watch more adverts for a lower price?

Well, in the UK, 42% of consumers say they would tolerate twice as many ads in streaming and subscription services if it lowered the monthly cost.

With Millennials that goes up to 50%, and for Gen Z it reaches 44%. A sizeable share of viewers are weighing irritation against savings and deciding the maths works.

The issue of rising costs helps explain that calculation. Brits hold an average of 5.7 subscriptions and spend £68 a month, which adds up to £816 a year. Gen Z consumers spend £91 a month, or £1,092 annually and Millennials spend £85 a month, totalling £1,020 a year. Nearly 30% of Brits say they are spending more than they can afford on subscriptions and that goes up to 43% among Gen Z.

Households are also stretching access in other ways. The report shows that 29% of Brits say people outside their household regularly use their subscriptions. That behaviour means that value for money weighs heavily in everyday decisions.

Giles Tongue, subscription expert at Bango, said, “For years, the assumption was that subscribers would always pay more to avoid adverts. But for a growing number of consumers, watching more ads is now an acceptable trade-off if it means keeping monthly costs down, especially among younger viewers.”

He added, “The data suggests that mindsets are changing, not just plan preferences. As budgets tighten, people are not only rethinking what they pay for, but how they access subscriptions in the first place. That could mean accepting ads, looking for discounts, or turning to bundles that make subscriptions easier to manage and better value.”

Are Americans Thinking The Same Way?

American viewers are also open to advertising if the price is right. According to Bango, 36% of Americans would tolerate twice as many ads if it lowered subscription costs. Among Millennials that rises to 46% and then for Gen Z it reaches 49%.

Americans subscribe to an average of 5.2 services and spend $69 a month, which adds up to about $830 a year. Around 23% say they are spending more than they can afford and that goes to 41% for Gen Z. When subscriptions goes from streaming. to music, retail and gaming, cutting down even a few dollars a month doesn’t seem like too bad of an idea.

Bango writes in the report, “Ad fatigue is officially over.” It continues, “While ads were once the enemy, consumers now see them as a saving grace.” The company adds that this marks “an enormous change in the behavioUral economics of ads.”

Younger viewers once again show a lot more tolerance for it. Nearly half of Millennials and Gen Z respondents say they would watch double the adverts if the monthly charge fell. Price sensitivity appears to outweigh irritation for a large share of subscribers.

Which Platforms Have The Most Tolerant Audiences?

Willingness to accept more adverts looks different across services. In the UK, 65% of HBO users say they would accept more ads for a lower cost. Apple TV users follow at 54%, Disney+ users stand at 49%, Netflix users at 47% and Amazon Prime Video users at 46%.

The US service breakdown shows pretty much the same thing. Among Apple TV users, 52% would accept more ads for a lower price. Disney+ users come in at 48%, HBO Max users at 47%, Netflix users at 44% and Amazon Prime Video users at 40%.

These differences show that viewers really do weigh subscription value carefully. When monthly costs go up, avoiding adverts becomes less important than keeping access affordable.

Tongue said, “For consumers, this is about keeping the services they want in ways that feel more affordable and flexible. For streaming platforms and subscription providers, it means affordability and flexibility are becoming just as important as content itself. As people look for better value through bundles and partnerships, brands that make access worthwhile will be much harder to walk away from.”

Bango’s Subscription Signals 2026 reports all of this and it was commissioned by the company and carried out by research agency 3Gem in January. The study surveyed 4,000 consumers across the UK and US and looks at how people are managing subscription costs.