Revealed: Brits spend almost £300 a year on online subscription services
- New research by comparethemarket.com reveals online subscription services we can’t live without
- Netflix comes top, followed by Amazon Prime and Disney+
- Brits spend nearly £300 a year on subscription services with Londoners spending the most, followed by those in Manchester and Birmingham
With the average Brit spending three hours and 37 minutes online every day, and an average of one hour 21 minutes a day watching online services such as Netflix, new research by comparethemarket.com reveals UK households spend nearly £300 every year on online subscriptions.
One in 12 people spend more on subscriptions each month than on clothes. However, one in 25 admit to using a friend or family member’s account, with Liverpudlians being the most likely to do so.
According to the research, over half of Brits can’t live without Netflix, despite Amazon Prime having more than 20,000 titles available compared to Netflix’s 6,024.
Not only does Spotify have the biggest share of music streamers worldwide, but it also ranks fourth for the subscriptions that we need in our lives – with the music streaming service proving most popular among millennials.
Gaming services Xbox Game Pass, and PlayStation Plus take spots six and seven. PlayStation Plus is most popular with 25–34-year-olds (4.5%) whereas Xbox Game Pass is popular with the slightly older generation aged 45-54 (4.5%).
The top 10 most popular online subscription platforms:
| Rank | Online subscriptions* |
| 1 | Netflix |
| 2 | Amazon Prime |
| 3 | Disney+ |
| 4 | Spotify |
| 5 | NOW TV |
| 6 | Xbox Game Pass |
| 7 | PlayStation Plus |
| 8 | Amazon Music |
| 9 | Apple Music |
| 10 | BritBox |
People in London, Manchester and Birmingham spend the most on online subscriptions each month. However, those who live in Liverpool and Leeds are most likely to use the log-in details of family and friends to watch their favourite shows.
Says Mubina Pirmohamed, head of digital at comparethemarket.com, said:
“It’s clear that the nation enjoys streaming movies, games and music. However, there’s nothing more frustrating than being halfway through your favourite programme or song and having the buffering symbol appear on your screen.
“It’s worth checking your broadband speed occasionally to make sure it’s at an optimal level for all of your needs, especially if you live in a busy household with multiple devices using the Wi-Fi.”
To find out more about the subscriptions we can’t live without, and test your broadband speed, visit: https://www.comparethemarket.com/broadband/content/online-subscription-services/
