One-third of Canadians reduced spending by cutting at least one streaming subscription in the past six months, according to a poll by the Angus Reid Institute. .The poll said half the respondents cut subscriptions because of the cost of living crisis. .Inflation in Canada was at 6.9% on a year-over-year basis in September, down from a 7% gain in August, according to Oct. 19 data from Statistics Canada. .READ MORE: Inflation in Canada falls to 6.9% in September.Excluding food and energy, prices rose 5.4% year over year in September, following a gain of 5.3% in August. Prices for durable goods, such as furniture and passenger vehicles, grew at a faster pace in September compared with August..Grocery store item prices grew by 11.4% in September, rising at the fastest pace since 1981. The prices increased because of unfavourable weather, higher prices for important inputs, such as fertilizer and natural gas, and geopolitical instability related to the Russian invasion of Ukraine..The poll said 39% cut their subscriptions because they were not using them as much, while 24% said the selection was not up to par. .While these decisions might represent a current setback for streaming service providers, the poll said 85% of Canadians have at least one subscription, up from about half in 2016..As Canadians continue to move toward the on-demand model, three-fifths said they subscribe to cable or satellite TV. This represents a five-point drop from 2018 and a 27-point drop in the past decade..For Canadians over the age of 54, 82% said they have cable subscriptions. Less than half of 18- to 34-year-olds have cable. .The poll said 17% of Canadians have at least four streaming services. Close to one-quarter said they have three subscriptions. .The age group cutting back on subscriptions the most was 18- to 34-year-olds (43%). There were 56% of people in this age group not reducing their subscriptions, while 1% were unsure. .According to the poll, the age group with the second largest percentage of people ending these services was 35- to 44-years-old (38%). This was followed by 45- to 54-year-olds (32%), 55 to 64 (24%), and 65+ (16%). .The poll was conducted online from Oct. 11 to 13 among a representative randomized sample of 1,618 Canadian adults who are members of the Angus Reid Forum. It has a margin of error of +/- two percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
