CAMBRIDGE, United Kingdom, Nov. 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- More than three-quarters (77%) of AI subscribers say these services are now essential to their everyday life. That's according to a newly released research report from Bango (AIM:BGO), ‘The rise of the AI subscriber’ — the first major study to focus exclusively on paying AI subscribers — exploring the behaviors, spending patterns, and unmet needs of this breakthrough market.

The study reveals AI has rapidly become indispensable: 74% say their AI subscriptions are essential for work, while two-thirds (67%) now rank AI as the most important subscription they have, surpassing streaming video, music, and other digital services. 61% go as far as to say they would rather cancel all their streaming services than give up their AI subscriptions.

The commitment is financial too, with the average subscriber paying almost $66 per month across 4 different AI tools, and nearly a quarter (24%) spending over $100 monthly. For a fifth (21%) of subscribers, AI is the single most expensive subscription category. And yet, 71% say they plan to add even more paid AI subscriptions in the next 12 months.

Rising costs and confusion

But this AI subscription boom is creating friction, leaving subscribers feeling confused and even ripped off.

More than half of subscribers (56%) say they can't afford all the AI tools they want, while 54% believe AI pricing is becoming “a rip-off”. The same percentage (54%) find current pricing models simply too confusing or complicated.

As a result, 61% admit they’ve had to cut back on other subscriptions to keep paying for their AI tools.

A bundle boom: subscribers want one bill

Overwhelmingly, AI subscribers are crying out for bundles to make sense of their subscriptions. Three-quarters (75%) want all of their AI subscriptions combined into one monthly bill, while 77% say they want their AI tools bundled with other subscriptions like streaming services.

This appeal cuts across multiple distribution channels: 77% want AI as part of larger multi-subscription services like Amazon Prime, 74% want it included with mobile contracts, 71% through employer benefits packages, and 71% with banking products.

AI and streaming: already inseparable

The hunger for AI-streaming bundles in particular reflects real behavior, with subscribers already using both services in tandem. More than half (58%) of AI subscribers report regularly using AI to look up spoilers while streaming, while even more use it for looking up details such as actor’s names (65%), getting next watch recommendations (65%), and generating recipes from cooking shows (62%).

Given the choice of streaming platforms that could bundle with AI, Netflix dominates the list with 72% selecting it as their preferred partner, followed by Amazon Prime Video (60%), Disney+ (54%), and YouTube Premium (50%).

The bundling code

Commenting on the new study, Paul Larbey, CEO at Bango, said, "This is the first time anyone has surveyed paying AI subscribers specifically, and what we're seeing is remarkable. AI has rocketed from curiosity to necessity in record time, but the subscription chaos that comes with it is real. People are juggling paid AI services on top of already full baskets of subscriptions. And they're telling us loud and clear: bundle this together, simplify the billing, and help us make sense out of it.

"The streaming-AI connection is particularly compelling. These aren't separate habits. People are already using AI while they stream, and they want that reflected in how they subscribe. For streaming platforms that can crack the bundling code, the prize is huge: becoming the gateway to the AI economy."

To find out more about today's AI subscription habits, download ‘The rise of the AI subscriber’ here.

About Bango

Bango enables content providers to reach more paying customers through global partnerships. Bango revolutionized the monetization of digital content and services, by opening-up online payments to mobile phone users worldwide. Today, the Digital Vending Machine® is driving the rapid growth of the subscription economy, powering choice and control for subscribers.

The world's largest content providers, including Amazon, Google and Microsoft trust Bango technology to reach subscribers everywhere.

Bango, where people subscribe. For more information, visit www.bango.com

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