Gen Z leads subscription surge as Australians log off social media

Australians are paying more than ever for digital entertainment but spending less time consuming it, new data from Deloitte shows.

The consulting firm's 2025 Media & Entertainment Consumer Insights report shows monthly digital entertainment spend jumped 24% in the past year to $78, up from $63 in 2024. Streaming and music services were the key drivers across households, which now hold an average of three subscriptions – the biggest surge since early Covid times. Gen Z leads the charge, spending an average $101 per month.

But while subs are up, consumption is down. Australians spent 42 hours and 45 minutes a week on media and entertainment, down 3.4% year-on-year. News and magazine engagement dropped 26%, social media declined 16% and video fell 13%. Audio was the only category to grow, up 34%.

Deloitte media and technology lead Peter Corbett said the shift reflects a “conscious consumption” trend.

“Australians are paying more for entertainment than ever before but spending less time consuming it,” Corbett said. “We’re seeing a nation rethink its relationship with media, technology and time.”

Social media use has fallen sharply, with weekly scrolling time down an hour. Boomers recorded the biggest drop at 27%, while Gen Z and millennials were both down 13%. The decline comes as the federal government prepares to introduce minimum-age laws for social platforms in December. Some 67% of Australians support age restrictions and half of parents already use parental controls.

“There is clear demand for stronger rules governing children’s access to social media,” Corbett said. “Parents want support from government and industry in the form of education, tools and safeguards.”

Younger Australians continue to reshape media habits, with growing willingness to pay for ad-free content – now 42% of consumers – and rising appetite to create content. Nearly one in five Australians has monetised content or considered it, rising to 39% among Gen Z.

AFL tops sport

Sport remains the country’s strongest entertainment draw. Eighty-four percent of Australians consider themselves sports fans and 57% are willing to pay for sports content, up from 53% last year. AFL has emerged as the most-followed sport across every generation, with 42% identifying as fans. Tennis ranks second, while soccer rivals AFL among younger audiences.

Interest in women’s sport continues to grow, but men make up the majority of fans in most codes apart from netball and equestrian.

“Australian men are now enthusiastically embracing women’s sport,” Corbett said. “The opportunity lies in accessibility, global reach and continued investment in elite female talent.”

When it comes to trust, national and regional publishers remain the most reliable news sources. Younger Australians see social media and YouTube as positive forces, while Boomers rate broadcasters highest for societal impact.

Despite rising costs, Australians show little appetite to cut subscriptions. Thirty-six percent say they’re overspending and 78% are worried about their total subscription bill, fuelling interest in aggregation services that bundle access.

Streaming habits shift, but TV dominates

The findings align with OzTAM’s latest Streamscape data for Q3 2025, which shows Australians are still watching the majority of video on broadcast TV, but streaming continues to strengthen among younger audiences.

Free-to-air TV accounts for 59.8% of viewing across total people, with BVOD services such as ABC iview, 7plus, 9Now, 10 Play and SBS On Demand holding 9.3%. Digital video platforms, including Netflix, YouTube, Disney+ and Amazon Prime Video, hold 30.9%.

Among the core commercial audience of 25-54s, viewing is now evenly split, with broadcast TV at 46.1% and streaming (BVOD + digital video) at 53.9%. The shift is more pronounced among men aged 18-39, where digital video accounts for more than half of all viewing.

Netflix remains the top streaming platform with 21.3% of streaming minutes, closely followed by YouTube at 20.5%.