Faced with the continuing rise in the cost of subscriptions and the increases expected during 2026, the French are reassessing their digital spending. A new study carried out by Ipsos for Sharesub , based on a representative sample, shows that while subscriptions are multiplying, managing them is often unclear and difficult, prompting consumers to look for new solutions to preserve their purchasing power.
Digital entertainment has become expensive and management is often ‘invisible
The era of unlimited digital consumption seems to be reaching a turning point. Today, 66% of French people say they subscribe to a video-on-demand platform, 41% to a music service and 31% to an e-commerce subscription.
Excluding all utility expenses (telephony, internet, insurance), respondents spend an average of €54 per month on their digital entertainment subscriptions, and 80% of the 1,000 respondents have at least one paid subscription.
However, this succession of small monthly payments often results in diffuse management, leading to a feeling of loss of control over invisible expenses. The study also reveals that half of respondents with a subscription (50%) only review their subscriptions once a year, or even less. A practice that seems inadequate in view of the multiplication of expenses.
Household budgets under pressure
These digital services, long seen as affordable, are becoming a real budget strain for some households.
As a result, 56% of French people admit that they have already cancelled a subscription, or are considering doing so, because the cost is putting them in a difficult financial situation. Families are particularly hard hit, with 68% of households with at least one child saying they have had to give up subscriptions to balance their budget.
Almost half of them have also forgotten to cancel a subscription and have overpaid for content.
Flexibility and co-subscription: towards a rationalisation of consumption
Faced with these economic limitations, consumers are adapting with new strategies:
- 30% of French people say they use “intermittent” subscriptions, subscribing and unsubscribing several times a year depending on the period and their needs.
- This flexibility even reaches 42% among 18-24 year-olds and for households with an annual income of €18,000 or less.
- Beyond these individual adjustments, a more collective response is needed: 71% of French people see sharing subscriptions with group rates as a relevant and sustainable solution to rising prices.
A new, sustainable approach
The rise of legal sharing is part of a wider movement towards chosen digital sobriety, which makes it possible to reconcile pleasure, access to culture and budget control.
As Jean-Brice de Cazenove, founder and CEO of Sharesub, points out: “We are convinced that we are promoting a more sustainable form of consumption, one that facilitates paying access to digital services over the long term. Content publishers reach a wider and more loyal audience, and consumers benefit from more services, without interruption, and better quality content.”
📊 Go further :
📥 Download the Sharesub x Ipsos study extract in PDF format to find the main infographics and data from our survey.
