Survey: Just 24% pay attention to streaming ads
May 5, 2026
To find out how users feel about commercials on streaming services, All About Cookies surveyed 1,000 US users, asking whether they pay for ad-free accounts, what they do when ads come on, and more. Key findings include:
- The majority of Netflix subscribers pay for ad-free accounts (52 per cent) in the US, the only major service where more than half pay to avoid ads.
- Less than one-quarter of viewers (24 per cent) actually pay attention to streaming ads, while most multitask or disengage.
- When asked to choose between one long ad up front followed by uninterrupted viewing and multiple short ad breaks in the middle of programming, more than two-thirds (67 per cent) prefer the single lengthy ad.
- Ads are a churn risk: 52 per cent of people have considered unsubscribing from a streaming platform because of them.
Are there too many ads on streaming services?
While consumers may understand that choosing a cheaper subscription will mean they see ads while streaming, the specific number of ads they will be shown isn’t stated up front.
The majority of subscribers with ad-supported streaming accounts feel that nearly every streaming platform has too many ads. More than three-quarters of people (76 per cent) feel that major streaming platforms in general have too many ads. In terms of ad-related dissatisfaction with specific streaming services, 71 per cent of Hulu users cited that platform as having too many commercials and ads, the highest of any platform, just edging out Peacock (68 per cent).
HBO Max is the only platform where less than half of users find the current ad load objectionable, though it is close, as 49 per cent say there are too many ads on that service. Netflix is in that same range, managing an even 50-50 split.
There may be consequences for streaming services related to this ad-induced dissatisfaction in terms of lost subscribers. More than half of respondents, 52 per cent, said that they have considered canceling a streaming service expressly because of the ads on a given platform, showing that there is a limit to how much customers will put up with in exchange for a lower subscription cost.
How viewers spend their time during streaming ad breaks
Just because an ad is playing on a streaming service doesn’t necessarily mean that it is being watched. In fact, most of the time it isn’t.
As aforementioned, just 24 per cent say they actually watch and pay attention to the ads on streaming services, meaning that more than three-quarters of people tune out in some way during streaming ad breaks.
The most common escape from streaming ads is a second screen, as 74 per cent of people say they look at their phone during these kinds of breaks, opting to do things like check their email or social media instead of engaging with commercials. More than a third of people, 38 per cent each, leave the room and go somewhere else, such as getting a snack or taking a trip to the bathroom, while a little less than a third (32 per cent) stay where they are but mute the ad.
Do viewers prefer fewer ads or shorter ad breaks?
When given the choice between a single long ad break at the start of a show or movie followed by uninterrupted viewing, or multiple short breaks in the middle of programming (with the same total ad time in both scenarios), users have an overwhelming preference. More than two-thirds of respondents, 67 per cent, reported that they would prefer the lengthy introductory ad, while just 12 per cent said they would choose multiple abbreviated breaks throughout their programming.