The subscription service landscape is much more of a graveyard than you think.
The average American has six paid subscriptions, and they’re not using three of them, according to an August study from financial services firm Self Financial. The subscription service they pay for but use the least? Starz, the $11.99-per-month streaming platform that features shows, movies and live events - and had 17.6 million subscribers at the end of 2026, according to the company.
Unused subscriptions, which Self defines as services not used in the past 30 days, have more than tripled in the past year.
“Taking an average from the responses, the results showed that typically subscribers have around 2.6 subscriptions that they aren’t using each month (up from 0.8 in 2025),” the study said.
Some 49.6 percent of subscribers don’t use Starz, with some surprising names finishing out the top five.
Some 44.4 percent of Disney+ subscriptions go unused, followed by 38.1 percent of Netflix subscriptions, 35.7 percent of HBO Max subscriptions and 34.12 percent of Apple TV+ subscriptions.
The study noted that 30-day trials are popular and may contribute to the lack of use after 30 days.
When asked which streaming service they would most likely unsubscribe from, Amazon Prime Video was the most popular choice, followed by Disney+ and Netflix.
Unused subscriptions are a system problem among American consumers. The average consumer spends $111 a month on subscriptions and wastes $21 a month on unused subscriptions, a July study from tech site CNET found.
Some consumers have looked for ways to cut costs on their streaming music subscriptions by turning to records and CDs, the article noted.
Many consumers started the year aware of their streaming waste and ready to cut back to save money, an April study from consulting firm Deloitte found. Around 40 percent said they’ve “recently cut back on entertainment subscriptions” because of financial reasons.
For those struggling with ways to stay current on their favorite shows and movies without paying more than $100 a month for streaming services, rotating paid streaming platforms could be a solution, CNET Senior Streaming Editor Kourtnee Jackson said.
“Rotate streaming subscriptions to keep a few streaming services for the time you know you’ll use them, like when a new season of your favorite show is released,” Jackson said. “Then you can cancel the subscription to avoid paying for a service you’re not using.”
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