Pure Telecom research reveals Irish adults spending almost €2BN per year on streaming services

Pure Telecom, Ireland’s high-speed broadband and telecoms provider, has announced the results of new research from its Connected Lives 2026 study, which reveals that Irish adults spend an estimated €1.95 billion on streaming subscriptions each year. The research also found that the average Irish streamer now watches 2 hours and 58 minutes of streamed content every day, up from 2 hours and 22 minutes last year. Over the course of a year, this equates to approximately 45 days of watching streamed video content.

The research, carried out by Censuswide on behalf of Pure Telecom, surveyed 1,000 employees in the Republic of Ireland. It found that two-thirds (66%) of adults in Ireland currently pay for at least one streaming service, slightly down from 68% last year. Among those who do subscribe, the average monthly spend has climbed to €41.93, up from €36.87 last year.

While spending is up, the research suggests that Irish consumers are becoming increasingly selective about where that money goes. Seven-in-ten (70%) subscribers say they have cancelled at least one streaming service in the past 12 months. The most common reason for cancelling a subscription was rising prices (30%), followed by dissatisfaction with available content (27%) and switching to another service perceived to offer better content (23%).

The study also points to ongoing complexity around password sharing and access to subscriptions. Two-in-five adults (41%) access streaming services through someone else’s household subscription. Meanwhile, 27% of paying subscribers admit that they share passwords with someone outside of their household without paying extra for the privilege.

Public attitudes on the issue appear divided. Almost half (48%) believe streaming services charge too much and that password sharing is therefore justifiable. Yet an identical proportion (48%) agree that streaming providers are right to crack down on password sharing across households. In recent years, many streaming providers, including Netflix, have introduced measures to restrict account sharingoutside of a subscriber’s household. The same proportion (48%) also say the practice is comparable to stealing.

Paul Connell, CEO, Pure Telecom, said: “Streaming services have become a central part of how people consume entertainment and media content. What is particularly interesting from this year’s research is that while spending on streaming subscriptions continues to rise, consumers are becoming much more selective about where they spend their money.

“This is reflected in the high number of subscribers who have cancelled at least one service over the past year. Consumers have more choice than ever before and are clearly willing to switch providers if they feel another platform offers better value or content. If streaming services continue to produce high-quality content, people will flock to them, but if not, it is clear that they are not afraid to switch, creating an interesting battleground for consumers’ attention.”

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