8 million Australians are freeloading streaming services on someone else’s account

We love our streaming services like Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, Stan and Binge but research shows up to 8 million Australians are freeloading on someone else’s account.

A study by Finder has revealed there are plenty of Australians who have admitted to using a family member or friend’s password to access streaming services.

From a survey of 1062 respondents, a huge 40 per cent admitted to mooching off someone to view their streaming services – that adds up to 8 million Australians.

And Netflix (30 per cent) is the most popular account to slide into for these customers followed by Disney+ (16 per cent), Stan (13 per cent) and Amazon Prime Video (10 per cent).

And the research found that Gen Z are the most likely to freeload the services with 76 percent admitting to using a service that wasn’t in their name compared to just 17 per cent of baby boomers.

“Sharing subscriptions can be a great way to save some cash. Just make sure you keep track of who is paying for what, and who has login privileges,” says Finder’s Mark Neilsen.

“Keep an eagle eye out for special deals and bargains. For example, Disney Plus is usually $11.99 a month, but for a limited time in September, you can subscribe for just $1.99 for 1 month – that’s an 83% discount.

“If you don’t have the luxury of sharing subscriptions, there is a way to get nearly a year of free streaming.

“Simply follow the free trials. Finder analysis from June shows this could get you just under a year of free streaming.

“Remember to cancel any services you aren’t currently using – you can easily join back up to them again if you find a show or movie you want to watch.”