The news: A large share of Gen Zers feel overwhelmed by the number of subscriptions they have, with subscription fatigue being a major factor in the decision to cancel services.

• 37% of Gen Z streaming subscribers ages 18 to 29 have canceled one or more streaming services since December specifically because of subscription fatigue, per CivicScience.
• Only 13% of these streamers haven’t experienced any burnout.

The data: High churn behavior is common—80% of adult Gen Z streamers have signed up for a streaming service within the past year to watch a specific piece of content and then canceled or paused that subscription.

Despite being burned out, many Gen Z streamers hold multiple subscriptions and are the most likely age group to spend over $100 monthly on subscriptions. That duality shows how subscription stress coexists with high overall spend.

More than half (52%) of Gen Z streamers use ad-supported options to help manage their monthly subscription expenses, suggesting that cost-saving tiers are a popular way to tackle fatigue. That’s in line with general consumer attitudes toward free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) streaming—total US hours spent watching FAST platforms reached 1.8 billion in August, per Comscore, up 43% YoY.

Implications for marketers: High churn tied to content marks how timely ads can reach Gen Zers at moments of peak engagement and interest, such as TV show season premieres and direct-to-streaming debuts for new movies.

Gen Z’s openness to spending a lot on subscriptions despite burnout suggests marketers can still access valuable audiences, as long as messaging highlights value and relevance.

Because that demographic often cycles in and out of services, marketers can benefit from diversified platform strategies rather than over-relying on a single streaming provider. Ad formats that feel entertaining or creator-led are especially well-positioned as tired consumers may be more easily alienated by disruptive or repetitive advertising.