CAMBRIDGE, United Kingdom, Oct. 13, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A whole series, or just the good parts? As streaming services compete for attention with social feeds one clip at a time, a third of Americans (32%) say they would rather watch highlights from a show than every full episode, rising to 43% among Gen Z, according to new research from Bango (AIM: BGO).
The survey of 2,500 US adults raises a question about how we watch: are audience attention spans shrinking, or are they simply looking for different ways to watch? Four in ten Americans (40%) say they would use streaming services more often if they offered short clips from their shows, rising to more than half (53%) of Gen Z.
That appetite is already reflected in reported viewing habits: 37% of Americans say they use their streaming service more often now that it includes vertical video clips, rising to 47% among Millennials.
But a taste for shorter viewing doesn’t necessarily mean less appetite for a good story. More than half (51%) say clips help them discover shows worth paying to watch. For some, the highlights are the attraction, but for others, those few minutes are what persuade them to settle in for the whole series.
How people access that entertainment matters too. Alongside the appetite for shorter viewing, 61% of Americans say they would be more likely to keep a subscription if they could get it for less through a bundle, giving streaming services and mobile providers two opportunities to explore: more ways to watch and more affordable ways to subscribe.
Short videos without the social feed?
For families, the appeal of bite-sized entertainment comes with another question: can children enjoy short videos while spending less time on social media?
More than four in ten Americans (44%) see value in short videos from a brand they trust, while 37% say curated clips would help keep their kids off social media. That figure rises to 47% among Millennials.
The findings come as international restrictions on children’s social media access put alternatives to social platforms under scrutiny. Australia has banned under-16s from social media since December 2025, and the UK government has announced plans to follow suit in 2027.
The US findings from Bango suggest an audience for an alternative: curated clips from familiar streaming platforms, giving families another way to enjoy short videos.
That appeal could also contribute to what people feel they get for their money. Four in ten Americans (40%) say original or exclusive short videos could help justify the price of a streaming subscription.
A shorter watch, not necessarily a shorter attention span
An appetite for highlights does not mean audiences have stopped caring about full-length stories. In the same survey, 65% of Americans say new episodes of shows they follow are important in their decision to keep paying for a streaming service.
The findings suggest there is room for both: something entertaining to watch in a spare moment and a series worth settling in for. Commenting on the findings, Paul Larbey, Bango CEO, said:
“It’s tempting to read these findings as evidence that nobody has the patience for a full episode any more. But people still value the shows they follow. The opportunity is to give them different ways to enjoy that entertainment, depending on the time and attention they want to give it as well as new ways to discover new shows without having to fully commit.
“For families, there’s another question: can children enjoy short videos without being drawn into a social media feed? Curated, age-appropriate clips from familiar shows could offer another option, particularly as restrictions on children’s social media access take effect.
“Streaming services have stories and characters people already love. Shorter formats could help audiences enjoy more of those catalogues, while getting a subscription through a phone, broadband or banking bundle could make it more affordable to keep. Together, streaming services with bundlers like telcos and banks can give people more ways to enjoy their favourite entertainment at a price that works for them.”
Connecting discovery with subscription value
For telcos, short-form entertainment could strengthen the appeal of the streaming services offered through their bundles, giving customers more ways to enjoy the subscriptions they already pay for.
Younger consumers are already using bundles to manage costs: 21% of Gen Z say they have moved from paying for a service separately to getting it through a bundle to save money in the past year.
Consumers also see value in bundling streaming with other services: 23% say a music subscription would make a streaming service more valuable to them, followed by food delivery benefits (20%) and shopping memberships offering free shipping or discounts (19%).
Bringing discovery, viewing and affordable access together offers streaming providers and telcos a way to respond to different viewing preferences while helping customers get more from the services they choose.
Read more about this data at Subscription Snapshot: highlights, vertical video and life beyond the social feed.
ENDS
Methodology
This release includes data from a survey of 2,500 consumers in the US, exploring attitudes to subscriptions and streaming. The survey was commissioned by Bango and conducted by the independent research company 3Gem in September 2026.
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
Media contact
Keaiana O’Riordan
keaianao@wildfirepr.com
