Sneaky streaming: More than 8 million Australians mooching off their friends and family
A new research report from Finder has revealed that Australia is a freeloading nation when it comes to streaming content.
The report, based on a nationally representative survey of 1,005 Australian adults, reveals more than two in five Australians (44%) admit to using a family member or friend's streaming service – equivalent to 8.5 million people.
With 88% of Aussies watching streaming services, that means half of Internet TV users are mooching off someone.
Aussies are most likely to freeload off someone else's Netflix account (24%), followed by Stan (17%), Disney+ (14%) and Amazon Prime Video (12%).
Gen Z are the most likely to freeload, with a whopping 74% saying they use a service that isn't in their name. Over half of gen X are freeloaders (51%), compared to 38% of gen Y and one in five (20%) baby boomers.
Finder's streaming editor, James Dampney, said that sharing Internet TV subscriptions can be a great way to save cash.
"Instead of paying for multiple Internet TV accounts, consider account sharing with friends or family. This is an easy way to cut costs while retaining the benefits of multiple subscriptions.
"Make sure to keep track of who is paying for each service, and who has login privileges – sometimes siblings or old housemates can end up mooching off your account.
"Even if you're sharing accounts with other people, remember to cancel any services that you aren't using – this is a pointless money drain.
Finder has also revealed today that Netflix remains Australia's best-rated Internet TV service.
"Netflix has taken out the Finder Award for Internet TV, with 98% of Aussies recommending the service and top scores across metrics like value for money, quality of content, and range of content," Dampney continued.
Amazon Prime Video had the second-highest recommendation score of 90%, followed by Stan (87%), Kayo (85%), and BINGE (83%).
How to save on your streaming
- Downgrade your subscriptions. Rather than pay for an individual account, you may have the option to take out a family plan for less money. For instance, Spotify now offers Spotify Family or Spotify Duo for people living under the same roof.
- Consider cutting down. Use a budgeting app to review your subscription service expenses over the last month and look for opportunities to cut down. The mere sight of how much you're forking out each month could be enough to convince you to drop a few unnecessary services.
- Opt for free instead of paid services. You can swap paid streaming services like Netflix or Stan for free-to-air content like ABC iview or SBS On Demand. You don't need to pay for more than one subscription service, so pick your favourite and substitute the others with free services.
You can view the full report and additional Intervet TV streaming statistics here.