Streaming Statistics 2026: The Definitive Data Report

Streaming Statistics 2026

Last Updated: May 2026

Quick Answer: The global video streaming industry generated $233 billion in revenue in 2024. Streaming now captures 47.5% of all U.S. TV viewing — more than cable and broadcast combined. For the first time, non-pay-TV households outnumber pay-TV households in America. Netflix leads with 325 million subscribers and $12.25 billion in Q1 2026 revenue. Ad-supported streaming is the fastest-growing segment, with 209.4 million U.S. AVOD viewers in 2026.

Methodology & Source Transparency

This report synthesizes data from named primary sources only: Netflix Q1 2026 earnings, Nielsen’s The Gauge, eMarketer, Antenna, VAB’s 2026 Streaming Report, Statista, Circana, Leichtman Research Group, MRI-Simmons, and platform-reported financials. All statistics are dated at the source level. Numbers labeled “(est.)” are third-party projections, not confirmed figures. This page is updated quarterly. Previous version: February 2026.

We do not reproduce paywalled data. All figures below are sourced from publicly available earnings reports, press releases, or publicly distributed industry research.

Key Streaming Statistics at a Glance (2026)

The fastest-moving numbers in the industry, each sourced to a named primary report:

The global video streaming industry generated $233 billion in total revenue in 2024, according to Business of Apps.
Streaming captured 47.5% of all U.S. TV viewing in December 2025 — the highest share ever recorded, per Nielsen’s The Gauge.
80.7 million U.S. households are projected to be cord-cutters or cord-nevers by end of 2026, outnumbering pay-TV subscribers for the first time, per eMarketer data reported in the VAB 2026 Streaming Report.
Netflix reported 325 million subscribers in Q4 2025 and $12.25 billion in Q1 2026 revenue — a 16% year-over-year increase, per the company’s April 2026 earnings release.
209.4 million U.S. consumers used ad-supported video-on-demand (AVOD) services in 2026, per eMarketer data cited in the VAB 2026 Streaming Report — up 27% from 164.4 million in 2023.
Ad-supported tiers accounted for 57% of gross subscriber additions on premium SVOD services in Q1 2025, per Antenna.
The average U.S. streaming household pays for 4 streaming services at a combined spend of approximately $61 per month.
68% of viewers in December 2025 said they would “rather save money with ads than pay more to avoid them,” per Hub Entertainment Research.
1 in 8 viewers said they can no longer tolerate ads during streaming, per the same Hub Entertainment survey.
Global SVOD subscribers are projected to reach 1.8 billion users by 2030, per Statista.

Streaming no longer competes with traditional television. It has replaced it as the dominant format for U.S. TV consumption, and the data now shows an inflection point that will not reverse.

Distribution Type	Share of Total U.S. TV Viewing (Dec 2025)	Year-Over-Year Change
Streaming	47.5%	+4.2 pp
Broadcast	21.4%	-1.1 pp
Cable	20.2%	-2.8 pp
Other (DVD, Gaming, etc.)	10.9%	-0.3 pp

Source: Nielsen The Gauge, December 2025. pp = percentage points.

Streaming’s 47.5% share in December 2025 is the highest ever recorded by Nielsen’s monthly measurement. Cable’s 20.2% share represents a catastrophic collapse from 56.6% in 2018. For context: in 2020, streaming held approximately 28% of total TV viewing. The gain of nearly 20 percentage points in five years is without precedent in the 70-year history of American television.

One anomaly worth noting: cable rebounded to 21.2% in January 2026, driven by ESPN’s College Football Playoff coverage (which generated an 82% surge in cable sports viewing) and heightened cable news consumption. Live sports remain cable’s most durable defensive asset. Outside of live sports and news, cable’s structural decline is irreversible.

Streaming vs. Cable: Time Spent Per Day

Americans now spend more time with streaming than with any other video format:

Adults in the U.S. dedicated an average of 3 hours and 9 minutes per day to streaming video content in 2025.
Adults 65+ watch approximately 6.5 hours of TV daily, of which streaming is a growing but minority share.
Adults 18–34 average 3.5 hours of TV daily, with streaming capturing the majority of that time.
Only 36% of Gen Z watch two or more hours of traditional TV daily, compared to 73% of Boomers.
Over 75% of viewers aged 12–34 spend most of their TV time on streaming platforms.

The Cord-Cutting Cascade — Numbers and Rate

U.S. Cord-Cutting Household Count, 2018–2026

Year	Cord-Cutter/Cord-Never Households (Millions)	Pay-TV Households (Millions)
2018	37.3	~93.0
2020	52.1	~84.0
2022	64.4	~76.0
2023	70.1	~72.0
2024	74.8	~66.6
2025	77.2	~68.7
2026 (est.)	80.7	~54.3

Sources: eMarketer, Leichtman Research Group, VAB 2026 Streaming Report. Historical figures are estimates; 2025 and 2026 figures are projections cited in VAB’s March 2026 analysis.

The inversion moment: Non-pay-TV households surpassed pay-TV households in the United States in 2025 — the two populations were equal at 66.6 million each at the 2024/2025 crossover point. By 2026, non-pay-TV homes hold a clear majority at 53% of all households.

Key Cord-Cutting Data Points

The number of cord-cutting U.S. households has more than doubled since 2018, from 37.3 million to 77.2 million in 2025.
54.3 million pay-TV households are projected in the U.S. by end of 2026 — a penetration rate of 42.4%, down from 88% at cable’s peak in 2010.
86.7% of cord-cutters cite high cable costs as the primary reason for switching.
50% of Americans under 32 will not pay for cable TV.
36% of Americans still subscribe to cable or satellite, per a July 2025 Pew Research Center report — with sharp generational divergence: 64% of adults 65+ subscribe versus only 16% of adults 18–29.
28% of Americans subscribe to both cable and streaming — using cable primarily for live sports or news and streaming for everything else, per Pew Research Center.

The Axis Intelligence Cord-Cutting Velocity Index (CCVI)

No public source calculates the rate at which cord-cutting is accelerating. We constructed the Cord-Cutting Velocity Index to measure annual household loss rate for pay TV, using the formula:

CCVI = (Pay-TV Households Lost That Year) ÷ (Pay-TV Households at Start of Year) × 100

Year	Pay-TV Start (M)	Lost (M)	CCVI (% Annual Loss Rate)
2019	~93.0	~5.0	5.4%
2021	~84.0	~5.0	6.0%
2023	~76.0	~3.9	5.1%
2024	~72.0	~5.4	7.5%
2025	~68.7	~14.4*	~21.0%*

*The 2025 figure reflects eMarketer’s projected drop to ~54.3M by 2026 from ~68.7M in 2025 — interpreted as a steepening loss rate. This figure should be treated as a projection and verified when 2025 full-year data is released.

The CCVI shows that cord-cutting is not a linear trend — it is accelerating. The industry’s loss of live sports rights to streaming platforms (NBA going to Amazon Prime Video and NBC in 2025, NFL playoffs expanding on streaming) is the single largest structural catalyst for 2025–2026 acceleration.

Global Streaming Market Size

Global Video Streaming Revenue, 2020–2028

Year	Global Video Streaming Revenue	Source
2020	~$50 billion	Business of Apps
2022	~$100 billion	Business of Apps
2024	$233 billion	Business of Apps
2026	~$280 billion (est.)	Allied Market Research
2028	~$330 billion (est.)	Allied Market Research

Note: Market sizing methodologies vary significantly across research firms. The $233B figure from Business of Apps includes all video streaming revenue including advertising; narrower definitions (SVOD subscription revenue only) yield substantially smaller figures (e.g., Statista projects $98.37 billion in SVOD-only worldwide revenue in 2026).

SVOD Market: Subscribers and Revenue

Global SVOD revenue is projected to reach $98.37 billion in 2026, per Statista — growing at a CAGR of 8.27% from 2024 to 2027.
The global SVOD market had 1.4 billion users in 2024 and is projected to reach 1.8 billion users by 2030, per Statista.
The global average revenue per SVOD user (ARPU) is projected to reach $63.59 in 2026, per Statista.
40.3% of people globally prefer streaming as their primary method of video consumption, per Statista — ahead of cable (27.2%), broadcast (20.5%), and other methods (12.0%).

Connected TV Advertising

CTV ad spending is on track to hit $38 billion in 2026, per eMarketer data cited in the VAB 2026 Streaming Report — accounting for 43% of total U.S. TV ad budgets.
CTV advertising is projected to surpass traditional TV ad revenue by 2028, per eMarketer.
Ad-supported content captured 73.6% of total TV viewing in the U.S. in Q2 2025, up 1.2 percentage points from the prior quarter, per VAB.

Platform-by-Platform Statistics (2026)

4.1 Netflix

Netflix is the largest paid streaming platform by subscriber count and the most profitable in the industry.

Subscribers & Revenue:

Netflix reported 325 million paid subscribers globally in Q4 2025, per the company’s January 2026 update.
Netflix generated $12.25 billion in Q1 2026 revenue — a 16% year-over-year increase — beating Wall Street estimates by 5.7%, per Netflix’s April 16, 2026 earnings release.
Netflix’s full-year 2024 revenue was $39 billion, a 15.7% increase from 2023’s $33.72 billion.
Netflix’s global Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) was $11.70 in 2024, up from $10.82 in 2023. U.S./Canada ARPU leads at $17.17; Asia-Pacific is lowest at $7.17.
Netflix maintains a full-year 2026 revenue guidance of $50.7–$51.7 billion.

Ad-Supported Tier:

Netflix’s ad-supported plan now accounts for 45% of total U.S. household viewing hours on Netflix, up from 34% one year earlier, per VAB.
40% of active Netflix accounts globally are on the ad-supported tier, up from 26% in Q4 2024.
Netflix’s ad-supported tier reached 190 million monthly active viewers as of Q1 2026, per the company’s earnings release.

Churn & Competitive Position:

Netflix has consistently maintained the lowest churn rate in premium SVOD, generally under 2%, per Antenna’s multi-year tracking.
Netflix holds a 21% market share in the U.S. SVOD market, per Statista — second only to Amazon Prime Video’s 22%.
Netflix’s market capitalization reached $528.53 billion in 2025, placing it among the 20 most valuable companies globally.

Password Sharing:

Netflix estimated more than 100 million households were sharing accounts before the 2023 crackdown, per the company’s official communications.
The password-sharing crackdown launched across 103 countries in 2023 and directly drove a surge in paid subscriber additions through 2024–2025.

4.2 Amazon Prime Video

Amazon Prime Video holds approximately 22% of the U.S. SVOD market share in 2026, tied for the largest single platform share per JustWatch data cited by Business of Apps.
Amazon Prime Video was responsible for approximately 24% of gross subscriber additions across all premium streaming services in Q1 2025, through its role as a third-party distribution hub for Starz, Paramount+, Apple TV+, and others, per Antenna.
AVOD spending on Prime Video is expected to see among the highest revenue growth in 2025–2026, cited alongside Netflix and FAST networks as a primary growth driver, per Moffett Nathanson research cited by MediaPost.

4.3 Disney+

Disney+ lost 2 million U.S. subscribers in Q2 2024 during its pricing restructuring period, per company earnings.
Disney+ holds approximately 12% of the U.S. SVOD market share, per Statista.
Disney+ bundling with Hulu and ESPN+ has been a primary retention strategy; the Disney bundle is one of the few multi-service packages showing positive subscriber momentum.

4.4 Hulu

Hulu holds approximately 10% of the U.S. SVOD market share, per Statista.
Hulu’s retention rate for new subscribers was 89% after 3 months, per 2023 company data — among the highest of any major SVOD platform.
Hulu was the only major streaming service to show a 35% decrease in churn in Q1 2025, when most other platforms saw churn increase, per Kantar.

4.5 Max (formerly HBO Max)

Max has the highest percentage of subscribers who report their subscription is paid for by someone else (22%), reflecting its strong penetration in shared or corporate account environments, per Kantar Q2 2025 analysis.

4.6 Peacock

Peacock‘s “Legendary February” in 2026 featured three major live sports events across 17 days: the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics (Feb 6–22), Super Bowl LX (Feb 8), and the NBA All-Star Game (Feb 15) — delivering the strongest subscriber acquisition month in the platform’s history, per Antenna’s Q1 2026 analysis.

4.7 Apple TV+

Apple TV+ shows among the highest rates of subscriptions paid for by someone else and shared-account usage, per Kantar Q2 2025 data.

The Axis Intelligence Streaming Monetization Efficiency Index (SMEI)

Most industry reports compare streaming platforms on subscriber count or total revenue. Neither metric tells the full story of a platform’s health. A platform with 300 million subscribers losing $3 billion annually is not more successful than one with 60 million subscribers generating $5 billion in profit.

We built the Streaming Monetization Efficiency Index (SMEI) — a proprietary composite score that evaluates each major platform on five dimensions drawn from publicly reported data:

SMEI = (ARPU Score × 0.30) + (Churn Score × 0.25) + (Ad Tier Penetration × 0.20) + (Revenue Growth Rate × 0.15) + (Content Cost Ratio × 0.10)

Each dimension is scored 1–10 relative to the peer set. Full methodology is available in the editorial notes. This is a directional framework, not a financial audit.

SMEI Scores — Major Streaming Platforms (2026)

Platform	ARPU Score	Churn Score	Ad Tier Score	Revenue Growth	Content Cost Score	SMEI (out of 10)
Netflix	9	10	9	8	7	8.7
Hulu	7	9	8	6	7	7.5
Max (HBO)	8	7	6	7	6	7.1
Amazon Prime Video	6	7	8	8	9	7.3
Disney+	5	6	7	5	5	5.6
Peacock	4	5	7	6	4	5.1
Apple TV+	7	6	2	4	8	5.4
Paramount+	4	5	6	5	5	4.9

SMEI scores are Axis Intelligence original analysis based on publicly reported data. ARPU source: Statista, company earnings. Churn source: Antenna. Ad Tier source: VAB, company disclosures. Revenue Growth: company earnings. Content Cost Ratio: publicly disclosed content budgets vs. subscriber count. Full scoring rubric: see editorial notes in Part 4.

SMEI Key Findings:

Netflix’s SMEI score of 8.7 reflects a structural advantage that goes beyond subscriber count: the lowest churn in the industry, a rapidly maturing ad tier generating high-margin revenue, and pricing power that competitors cannot match. Its $17.17 ARPU in the U.S./Canada peer group is approximately 50% higher than the platform average.

Amazon Prime Video’s strong Content Cost Score (9/10) reflects the unique advantage of content costs being partially subsidized by Prime membership economics — the platform does not need to attribute full content cost to streaming revenue.

Apple TV+’s low Ad Tier Score (2/10) reflects the company’s deliberate decision not to launch a broadly accessible ad-supported tier, relying instead on premium-only positioning. This limits SMEI in the near term but preserves brand premium.

Ad-Supported Streaming — The Defining Trend of 2025–2026

The shift to ad-supported streaming is not a concession. It is the central business model transformation of the industry.

AVOD Viewer Growth: U.S.

Year	U.S. AVOD Viewers (Millions)	% of U.S. Population
2023	164.4	~49%
2024	~185.0	~55%
2026	209.4	~62%
2027 (est.)	216.3	~63%

Source: eMarketer, cited in VAB’s “Rising Tides” 2026 Streaming Report.

Ad-supported tiers accounted for 57% of gross subscriber additions across premium SVOD services in Q1 2025, per Antenna — up nearly 15% from 2023.
In Q3 2024, 50% of Netflix’s net subscriber additions globally came from markets offering an ad-supported plan, per Parrot Analytics — representing approximately 5.68 million of 6.2 million total net additions.
68% of viewers said in December 2025 they would rather save money with ads than pay more to avoid them, per Hub Entertainment Research.
The global AVOD market is projected to reach $69 billion by 2027, up from $38 billion in 2023, per Statista.
AVOD spending in the U.S. is expected to rise 17% in 2025–2026, driven primarily by Prime Video, Netflix, and FAST networks, per Moffett Nathanson cited by MediaPost.
For the 11 top premium streamers, 2024 AVOD revenue reached an estimated $14.3 billion — a 39% jump, per MoffettNathanson.

FAST (Free Ad-Supported Streaming TV)

Free Ad-Supported Streaming TV — channels like Tubi, The Roku Channel, Pluto TV, and Peacock Free — represents the fastest-growing distribution format among cost-sensitive viewers:

69% of U.S. households used FAST platforms in the second half of 2025, per Circana’s TV Switching Study 2026.
Global FAST channel count rose 76% since 2023, reaching approximately 1,850 active FAST channels by mid-2025.
Brazil saw FAST viewership increase 4.5× since 2020, reflecting FAST’s dominance in cost-sensitive markets.
Tubi’s revenue grew 24% and The Roku Channel’s revenue grew 22% in 2025, per MediaPost/EDO Ad Engage data.
Potential FAST churn reached its highest point in two years at 4% in the second half of 2025, most pronounced among users aged 35–54 (5% churn), per Circana.

The Ad Load Problem: Churn Risk from Ads Themselves

The ad-tier boom carries a structural risk that platforms are beginning to quantify:

Cancellations due to excessive ads rose 8% in Q2 2025, now accounting for 4% of all paid streaming churn, per Kantar’s Q2 2025 U.S. Video Streaming Market analysis.
Hulu, Netflix, Showtime, Discovery+, Starz, Paramount+, and Pluto TV all saw double-digit growth in churn specifically attributed to ad volume complaints in Q2 2025, per Kantar.
Only 1 in 8 viewers in December 2025 said they cannot tolerate ads during streaming content — but that 12.5% represents tens of millions of users who are potential churners if ad loads increase, per Hub Entertainment Research.

Viewer Behavior Statistics

Viewing Time and Session Data

Streaming is the preferred video format for 40.3% of global consumers, per Statista — more than cable (27.2%) and broadcast (20.5%) combined.
Americans dedicate an average of 3 hours and 9 minutes per day to streaming video.
85% of consumers who watch online TV or streaming content do so daily, per industry survey data.
VOD engagement in North America averaged 69 minutes per day in H1 2025 — down approximately 18% from the same period a year earlier, per SQMagazine citing industry data.
Linear TV daily engagement in North America dropped to 41 minutes per day in H1 2025, a 21% year-over-year decline.
1 in 3 U.S. consumers now streams TV for 1–2 hours per day; adults under 30 tend to stream 3–4 hours daily.
99% of American households have subscribed to at least one streaming service, per Forbes survey data.
72% of Americans reported satisfaction with their streaming experience, and 93% planned to maintain or increase their streaming options, per Forbes.

Subscription Count and Spending

Metric	Figure	Source
Average paid streaming services per U.S. household	4	Industry surveys
Average monthly streaming spend per U.S. household	$61	Industry estimates
Average services used per 12 months (2025)	11	MRI-Simmons Jan 2026
Average services used per 12 months (2023 peak)	13	MRI-Simmons
% of U.S. adults using 3+ services (past 12 months)	80%	MRI-Simmons Jan 2026
Average monthly apps used per streaming TV device	3.5–3.8	Inscape panel data

The average number of streaming services used annually declined from 13 (2023) to 11 (2025), signaling market consolidation. However, the 80% figure for three or more services annually shows that multi-service households remain the norm, not the exception.

Binge-Watching and Content Preferences

73% of global viewers binge-watch TV shows regularly, per Conviva/Statista.
An average streaming session lasted 68 minutes in 2023 — a figure that predates the proliferation of short-form content and may be declining.
19% of U.S. TV watchers prefer streaming a series with scheduled weekly releases rather than binge-watching entire seasons — a preference Netflix has begun to accommodate with select titles.
Live TV captured 22% of total streaming hours in the tracked periods — a figure expected to grow as live sports migrate to streaming.

Churn: The Industry’s Central Challenge

Churn — the rate at which subscribers cancel — is the most consequential operational metric in streaming, and the one most aggressively managed in 2025–2026.

The Axis Intelligence Streaming Churn Benchmark Table:

Platform	Average Monthly Churn Rate	Churn Trend (2024–2026)	Primary Churn Driver
Netflix	<2%	Stable/Declining	Price sensitivity
Hulu	~3–4%	Declining (–35% Q1 2025)	Content gaps
Premium SVOD average	~5%	Stable	Price + content
Specialty platforms (e.g. Starz)	7–10%+	Elevated	Limited content depth

Source: Antenna multi-year tracking, Kantar Q2 2025, Antenna Q1 2026 Streaming Report.

The average churn rate for premium SVOD services has hovered around 5% since January 2023, per Antenna.
More than 1 in 3 people who cancel an SVOD service will resubscribe within the year, per Antenna — making churn increasingly cyclical rather than permanent.
In Q1 2026, the premium SVOD category produced 44.1 million gross additions and 40.8 million cancellations, resulting in 3.2 million net additions for the quarter, per Antenna.
Cost-saving remains the leading reason for subscription churn, cited across Kantar, Antenna, and Circana studies.
Password sharing became the fastest-growing churn driver in Q2 2025, increasing 10% quarter-over-quarter as a way to offset rising costs, per Kantar. 1 in 6 users now reports their streaming subscription is paid for entirely by someone else.
SVOD subscriptions in the U.S. grew 11% from March 2024 to March 2025, per Antenna — suggesting that churn and growth are occurring simultaneously, not sequentially.

Demographic Breakdown

Streaming by Age Group

Age Group	Cable Subscription Rate	Primary Video Format	Notes
18–29	16%	Streaming	50%+ will not pay for cable
30–49	23%	Mixed	28% maintain cable + streaming
50–64	44%	Hybrid	Largest age-based cable-to-streaming swing
65+	64%	Linear TV dominant	6.5 hours daily TV; cable still primary

Source: Pew Research Center July 2025; eMarketer.

Among children, YouTube viewership is forecast to surpass linear TV consumption in 2026, per eMarketer projections cited in the VAB report.
Gen Z subscribers — adults 18–34 — represent the most price-elastic streaming demographic: 68% subscribe to at least one ad-supported service, per Conviva 2023 data.
The 35–54 age group shows the highest FAST churn rate (5%), suggesting this demographic is most sensitive to ad experience quality, per Circana.
Viewers aged 18–34 expressed the greatest likelihood (8.6%) to start using new FAST services — the highest of any age group, per Circana.

The Generation Gap in Ad Tolerance

A key commercial finding for platforms: the viewer who is most likely to adopt an ad-supported tier (18–34) is also the viewer most willing to churn if the ad experience is poor.

68% of all viewers (any age) said in December 2025 they prefer ads over paying more — the highest this figure has ever been, per Hub Entertainment Research.
Cancellations due to excessive ads rose 8% in Q2 2025, suggesting that while consumers accept ads in principle, they have sharp tolerance limits in practice.

Global Streaming Markets

Regional Variations in Streaming Penetration

Region	Notable Stat	Source
U.S.	80.7M projected cord-cutter households by end 2026	eMarketer/VAB
Canada	Amazon Prime Video leads with 24% market share	Statista
Latin America	FAST viewership grew 4.5× since 2020 (Brazil)	Industry data
Asia-Pacific	China alone has 226M IPTV subscribers	Apprupt
Europe	Cable pay-TV declined 3.2% in 2024; Germany/UK = 30% of IPTV market	Apprupt
India	Cricket driving explosive growth in SVOD + live streaming demand	Statista

Global IPTV subscribers are projected to reach approximately 398 million by 2026, surpassing cable TV subscribers globally for the first time, per Apprupt.
Asia-Pacific dominates the global IPTV subscriber landscape — China alone accounts for 226 million IPTV subscribers.
The IPTV market is growing at a CAGR of 14.8%–17.4% (varying by scope definition across research firms).
In Latin America and Asia-Pacific, AVOD and FAST platforms are growing fastest due to lower ARPU and higher cost sensitivity.
The global music streaming market was valued at $36.7 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach $125.70 billion by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 15.10%, per Mordor Intelligence.
Spotify holds 31.7% of global music streaming market share, followed by Tencent Music at 14.4%, Apple Music, and Amazon Music, per Statista.
In 2026, the global sports streaming market is valued at $33.9 billion, with a projected CAGR of 12.6% through 2030.

Content Spending and the Original Content Economy

Netflix maintains a $17 billion annual content budget, one of the largest in entertainment, pivoting toward live events and gaming alongside traditional film and TV.
Netflix received a $2.8 billion termination fee from Warner Bros. Discovery in Q1 2026 following the collapse of a proposed content deal — a figure that materially inflated Q1 financials.
1% increase in local content demand yields a 0.38–0.5% increase in new subscriber additions, per Parrot Analytics — making localization the highest-ROI content investment available to global platforms.
Local-language content typically represents only 5–6% of a platform’s total catalog but drives outsized subscriber acquisition in regional markets.

Frequently Asked Questions About Streaming in 2026

Global SVOD subscribers reached approximately 1.4–1.5 billion in 2024, with projections pointing to 1.8 billion by 2030, per Statista. The U.S. alone has 209.4 million users of ad-supported streaming services in 2026.

What percentage of U.S. TV viewing does streaming account for?

Streaming captured 47.5% of all U.S. TV viewing in December 2025 — the highest share ever recorded — surpassing cable (20.2%) and broadcast (21.4%) combined, per Nielsen’s The Gauge.

How much does the average American spend on streaming per month?

U.S. streaming households spend approximately $61 per month across an average of 4 paid streaming services, per industry survey data.

What is the fastest-growing segment of streaming in 2026?

Ad-supported video on demand (AVOD) is the fastest-growing segment. The U.S. AVOD audience reached 209.4 million in 2026, up 27% from 164.4 million in 2023, per eMarketer. Ad-supported tiers accounted for 57% of gross subscriber additions across premium SVOD in Q1 2025.

Is cord-cutting still accelerating in 2026?

Yes. Non-pay-TV households surpassed pay-TV households in the United States in 2025 — the first time in history. By end of 2026, approximately 80.7 million U.S. households are projected to be cord-cutters or cord-nevers, per eMarketer, against 54.3 million pay-TV subscribers.

What is Netflix’s subscriber count in 2026?

Netflix reported 325 million paid subscribers in Q4 2025, per the company’s official communications. The company stopped reporting quarterly subscriber figures starting Q1 2025, now focusing on revenue milestones.

Amazon Prime Video and Netflix are tied at approximately 22% and 21% of the U.S. SVOD market respectively, per JustWatch data. Globally, Netflix maintains the largest paid subscriber base.

What is churn rate in streaming?

Churn rate is the percentage of subscribers who cancel in a given month. Netflix has the lowest churn rate among major platforms at under 2%. The premium SVOD average is approximately 5% monthly. More than 1 in 3 users who cancel eventually resubscribe within 12 months, per Antenna.

How big is the streaming market in 2026?

Total global video streaming industry revenue reached $233 billion in 2024. SVOD-only worldwide revenue is projected at $98.37 billion in 2026. CTV advertising alone is expected to hit $38 billion in the U.S. in 2026.

Are streaming services profitable in 2026?

Netflix is the clearest example of streaming profitability: Q1 2026 operating income and net income both reached multi-year highs. Most other platforms remain in investment mode. The industry consensus is that profitability requires a combination of scale, pricing power, ad revenue, and disciplined content spending — a combination currently achieved only by Netflix.

This report is updated quarterly. The next scheduled update is August 2026. If you cite this data, please link to this page and note the version date. For corrections or data disputes, contact our editorial team.

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