UK Consumer Spending Hits 13-Month High

UK Consumer Spending Hits 13-Month High

UK consumer spending reached a 13-month high in August. Card spending rose by 2.1%, building on the 2% growth that was seen in July, but when you break down the data, the sharpest spending rise can be seen in the world of entertainment. 

Entertainment Spending is Breaking Records 

Many consumers are choosing bundles, memberships, and packages that include several forms of entertainment for a single price. This includes entertainment passes that allow access to different venues or monthly passes that allow unlimited entry while the membership is active.

Cinema memberships that include free popcorn or drinks are increasing, showing how businesses are finding new ways to give consumers more for less.

In the digital world, platforms like Sky are offering people the chance to take out Netflix for a fixed monthly fee, which is included in the package. EE is also offering bundle deals for NOW TV, Apple TV and TNT Sports. Bundle deals, even though they sometimes cost more, offer more value, which is one reason behind the steady increase in entertainment spending.

Online entertainment is also growing. Audiobook subscriptions hit a record-breaking £268 million in 2025. Apple Podcasts are reporting steady growth, as the free entry point gives people the chance to test the service, and the freemium/premium tier allows users to gain access to even more content for a small fee. 

Bonus bingo casino promotions are becoming more diverse, as players are now being given the chance to play free daily bingo games, claim free spins or deposit bonuses. Flexible entertainment promotions like this, combined with the surge in online demand, are helping to fuel UK consumer spending, as people seek out ways to gain access to entertainment that offers more value. 

As UK households spent £1 billion a week on media, content, live experiences, subscriptions and devices during the period between 2024 and 2025, it wouldn’t be surprising to see this number rise even more when the official data for 2025-2026 comes out.

Growth Across All Measured Sectors

The British Association for Screen Entertainment (BASE) has confirmed that growth is visible across all measured sectors. The UK media and entertainment market has risen by 8% year-on-year. Streaming services are also dominating home entertainment, as 20.3 million UK households have subscribed to at least one service. 

This is a 500,000 increase when compared to 2024. Netflix is leading the market right now with over 17.6 million subscriptions, and Amazon Prime trails behind with 13.6 million. Discovery is experiencing immense success and has grown its UK subscriber count to 3.2 million. Ad-supported models are becoming more popular as people look to lower the cost of entertainment, even though 55% of people report that they dislike ads. 

The trend of consumer spending increase comes down to a lot of different factors. Subscriptions and at-home entertainment have a huge role to play, but at the same time, traditional establishments are changing the way they approach pricing to try and draw in new audiences. This, combined with strategically timed promotions, is helping to bolster the entertainment market, leading to more overall consumer spending.

Guest Article.