One in three Americans pays for a specialist streaming or subscription service

That’s a bundle: From Shudder to Tinder Plus®, over half of American subscribers want to bundle more specialized subscriptions

Nearly a third of American subscribers (31%) now pay for at least one specialist subscription — ranging from horror streaming and pet trackers, to diet plans, meditation apps, and more. That’s according to newly released research from Bango.

Beyond streaming: The rise of specialist subscriptions

According to the Bango study, which surveyed 5000 U.S. subscribers, Americans are looking beyond the go-to streaming platforms and signing up to a huge variety of specialist services.

1 in 10 now pay for at least one children’s subscription service such as ABCmouse, while 1 in 20 pay for a guided meditation subscription. A further 1 in 20 pay for at least one foreign-language streaming service.

Broader bundles: America demands more choice

As consumers embrace a broader range of subscriptions, many are calling for these services to be bundled into the deals offered by their mobile providers, banks, and internet service providers.

More than half of subscribers (58%) believe today’s bundles should include a wider variety of specialist subscriptions, not just the major streaming platforms. At the same time, subscribers are also looking to build more unique bundles that reflect their own unique interests:

Top subscription combos

• 34% of health‑and‑fitness subscribers also pay for a food delivery or meal kit service
• 26% of students combine language or study apps with international cuisine services such as Hungry Panda
• 21% of food delivery subscribers also pay for genre‑specific streamers like Shudder
• 16% of AI tool subscribers pay for a dating upgrade (e.g. Tinder Gold)
• 14% of gaming subscribers splash out on pet‑care subscriptions such as BorrowMyDoggy

“When deciding whether to take up a bundle or deal, today’s subscribers want more than just streaming, music or retail. The beauty of bundling is that subscribers get to design their own experiences and build a combination that is genuinely useful and meaningful to them.”

“Today’s subscribers are creating all kinds of weird and wonderful combinations. They’re bundling meditation apps with heavy‑metal playlists and using AI subscriptions to perfect their Tinder ice‑breakers. These quirky combos represent the next stage in the bundle economy, offering a huge commercial opportunity to providers who are willing to team up with other, more specialized players.”

“Imagine Shudder teaming up with HelloFresh for a ‘Meals & Squeals’ deal. That’s a bundle. Or Duolingo offering Hungry Panda vouchers to language learners. That’s a bundle. With the Digital Vending Machine® (DVM™) from Bango, launching those cross‑category bundles is as easy as flipping a switch.”

Giles Tongue, VP Marketing at Bango

The bundle economy

Bango predicts that growing consumer demand for specialist streaming and subscription services will fuel a new wave of bundling and a further boom to the growing bundle economy.

According to additional Bango data, 68% of U.S. consumers are now paying for at least one subscription obtained indirectly, such as through a bundled offer. Meanwhile, 72% of subscription brands report higher customer lifetime value from subscribers acquired via bundles compared to those acquired through direct sign-ups.

“The bundle economy presents a huge opportunity, but the challenge is in linking all of these services together efficiently. Consumers don’t want complexity. They want convenience, choice, and value in one place. The Digital Vending Machine® from Bango already connects hundreds of popular, mainstream, and specialist subscriptions, powering Super Bundling platforms from Verizon, Optus and Telenet. Using the DVM, telcos, banks, retailers, and other providers can offer compelling deals instantly, differentiating their services, while giving customers the variety they crave.”

Giles Tongue, VP Marketing at Bango

Find out about the latest subscription combos here.