Streaming Fatigue – How Subscription Overload Is Changing the Way We Watch TV

Streaming was meant to simplify everything. A single subscription, unlimited entertainment, and the freedom to watch on your own terms. For a while, it worked. Netflix and Spotify redefined convenience, offering easy access to vast catalogues that made piracy look outdated.

But after more than a decade of growth, the streaming model is beginning to show cracks. Prices are rising, catalogues are shrinking, and what was once the answer to complexity has become complex again. Across the UK, many households are asking the same question: how many streaming subscriptions is too many?

When Streaming Made Life Simple

In the early 2010s, the rise of Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Spotify changed entertainment forever. The offer was irresistible: affordable, legal access to huge libraries with no adverts and no waiting. Music piracy collapsed, DVD sales fell, and the binge-watch became a cultural event.

For a time, streaming services offered the best of both worlds. They were cheaper than traditional TV packages, and they worked across every device. Viewers could choose what they wanted, when they wanted it, without clutter or confusion.

Then the competition arrived.

The Subscription Pile-Up

As studios and broadcasters realised the potential profits of streaming, they began launching their own platforms. Disney+, Apple TV+, Paramount+, Discovery+, NOW TV, and dozens of smaller options each carved out their own libraries.

The result was fragmentation. A viewer who once paid £5.99 for Netflix now faces a collection of separate subscriptions, each holding exclusive content. Popular series such as The Mandalorian, Stranger Things and Ted Lasso sit behind different walls. To access them all, a single household may need four or five subscriptions, each costing upwards of £10 per month.

According to a 2025 report by MIDiA Research, the average UK household now pays for between three and five streaming services. In a period of rising living costs, this model is starting to feel unsustainable.

Rising Costs and Shrinking Catalogues

Over the last three years, most major platforms have increased their subscription prices by between 10 and 25 per cent. At the same time, many have removed older shows or films to reduce licensing costs. For users, that means paying more for less.

Disney+ and Netflix have both introduced ad-supported tiers, effectively reintroducing the adverts that streaming once promised to eliminate. It is a shift that many subscribers see as a step backwards.

While these changes help companies maintain profit margins, they are eroding the sense of value that once defined streaming.

From Convenience to Fatigue

The modern viewer now faces a paradox of choice. There are more programmes, films and platforms than ever before, yet the experience feels overwhelming. The constant launch of new services and limited-time exclusives makes it hard to keep track of what is available where.

This fatigue has started to change behaviour. Surveys show an increase in “rotation subscribers” — users who cancel and restart services depending on what they want to watch that month. Others are turning to free alternatives such as ITVX, BBC iPlayer or Pluto TV, or rediscovering physical media to ensure access to their favourite titles.

Even piracy, once in sharp decline, is quietly returning as some users decide that paying for everything is no longer realistic.

The Industry Response

Streaming companies are beginning to adapt. Disney and Hulu have merged in the US to reduce fragmentation, while Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount are exploring similar bundles. In the UK, Sky has integrated several platforms into its interface to make navigation simpler.

Password sharing restrictions are tightening, but some companies are also testing flexible plans and short-term passes to cater to more selective viewers.

The industry is beginning to realise that customer loyalty depends on transparency, value and ease of use.

What Comes Next

The future of streaming will depend on balance. Too many subscriptions will drive fatigue; too few options will limit diversity. Experts predict a wave of consolidation over the next five years, with several smaller services either merging or being absorbed by larger players.

In the end, the success of streaming may depend not on how much content can be offered, but how simply it can be delivered.

For viewers, the goal remains the same as it was at the start: watch what you want, when you want, without confusion or cost fatigue. The challenge now is getting back to that simplicity.