Streaming Services to Introduce Subscription Limits in 2026

Streaming services are set to introduce subscription limits for users in 2026, according to a report by Ars Technica ^[1]. This change aims to address the issue of 'infinite' streaming, where users can subscribe to multiple services without any restrictions.

The report notes that streaming services have been growing rapidly, with many users subscribing to multiple services to access their favorite content. However, this has led to a situation where users can accumulate large numbers of subscriptions without any limitations.

To address this issue, streaming services are planning to introduce subscription limits, which will restrict the number of services a user can subscribe to. This change is expected to affect users who have multiple subscriptions across different services.

The introduction of subscription limits is seen as a way to make streaming services more sustainable and to prevent users from accumulating large numbers of subscriptions. However, it may also lead to users having to choose between their favorite services or canceling some of their subscriptions.

The exact details of the subscription limits are not yet clear, but it is expected that users will be able to subscribe to a maximum number of services, depending on their plan. This change is expected to roll out in 2026, although the exact date is not yet confirmed.

The introduction of subscription limits is a significant change for streaming services, and it remains to be seen how users will react to this new policy. However, it is clear that streaming services are looking to make their services more sustainable and to prevent users from accumulating large numbers of subscriptions.

Sources

[1] “Streaming stops feeling infinite”: What subscribers can expect in 2026