Gen Z 59% Switch Streaming, 62% Shun Full‑Price Games
Get the Culture newsletter
Daily culture — film, music, books, the trends and ideas worth your attention. Free.
- Dentsu and IGN Entertainment released the “Generations In Play: 2026 Audience Insights Report,” built on research with Kantar and UC Berkeley and based on a survey of 6,250 highly‑engaged entertainment consumers in the U.S., U.K., and Australia.
- Gen Z respondents said 59% actively subscribe and unsubscribe to streaming services to chase a single title, indicating platform loyalty is effectively dead.
- Gen Z indicated 62% will not pay full price for video games, preferring subscription‑based access.
- Gen Z reported 71% have stopped buying physical music and 70% no longer purchase hard‑copy TV shows and movies.
- Gen Z is 13% more likely than older generations to attend opening‑weekend movie screenings, showing a strong theatrical appetite.
Why it matters: Streaming platforms lose stable subscriber bases as Gen Z churns for single titles, while subscription gaming services gain new users; advertisers must pivot to title‑centric campaigns to capture this volatile audience.
