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Video Streaming Statistics: Key Insights & Trends

Oct 27, 2026

Ankita Sagar

Streaming is no longer just an alternative to traditional television; it has become a major part of how audiences watch and how the industry invests in content. In the U.S., streaming accounted for a record 48.6% of total TV watch-time in May 2026. This steady shift is also visible in India. In 2025, online video captured 46% of India’s video content investment, overtaking television’s 42% share for the first time.

But the streaming story isn’t simply about more people watching online. The industry is evolving around subscription habits, ad-supported plans, connected TVs, social-media competition, live content, and changing viewer preferences.

In this guide, we’ll break down the latest video streaming statistics, including market size, revenue, users, viewing time, leading streaming services, popular shows and movies, and the trends shaping the industry. Let’s get into it.

Top Video Streaming Statistics

• The global video streaming market was valued at $811.37 billion in 2025 and is set to expand from $969.56 billion in 2026 to $3,394.56 billion by 2034, reflecting a CAGR of 17% during this period.
• Recent Nielsen research found that streaming accounted for a record 48.6% of total TV watch-time in the U.S., compared with 20.4% for cable and 19.2% for broadcast. YouTube alone captured 13.8% of total TV watch-time, its highest share to date.
• As of 2023, there were approximately 1.8 billion online video-on-demand (VOD) subscriptions globally, underlining the widespread adoption of streaming platforms.
• India had 745 million weekly TV viewers and 1.45 billion monthly OTT users in 2025, highlighting the scale of both traditional and digital video consumption.
• People usually spend 6 hours on media and entertainment content daily.
• Audiences spent over 16.7 trillion minutes streaming in 2025, which is equal to 11.58 billion days.
• 420 billion hours of online video were streamed by Indian users in 2025. 

Video Streaming Market Size 

The global video streaming market was valued at $811.37 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach $969.56 billion in 2026. The market is expected to grow to $3,394.56 billion by 2034, registering a 17.0% CAGR from 2026 to 2034. North America held the largest market share at 37.70% in 2025, while Asia Pacific accounted for 25.80% and is expected to record the fastest growth during the forecast period.

The content delivery services segment is expected to remain the largest component, accounting for 66.04% of the market in 2026. Meanwhile, OTT streaming is projected to record the highest CAGR among channels, driven by increasing adoption in markets such as India and other developing countries. The subscription-based revenue model held the largest share in 2025 and is also expected to record strong growth as consumers continue to adopt services such as Netflix, Disney+, and other on-demand platforms.

Asia Pacific generated $209.32 billion in 2025, with India’s video streaming market projected to reach $74.37 billion in 2026. The region’s growth is being supported by rising adoption of video-on-demand and OTT platforms.

Source: Fortune Business Insights

Revenue of the Video Streaming Industry 

The global video streaming app market generated $279 billion in revenue in 2025, marking a 19% increase from the previous year. The market includes both paid streaming services and free, ad-supported platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram Reels. 

Advertising has become an increasingly important revenue source, accounting for 50.2% of total video streaming revenue in 2025, slightly ahead of subscription revenue. Free video streaming apps generated approximately $126 billion, representing 27% year-over-year growth. 

Source: Business of Apps, Business of Apps 2

 Video Streaming Market Share 

Streaming continued to strengthen its position in the U.S. television landscape in May 2026, accounting for a record 48.6% of total TV watch-time, up 1.0 percentage point from April. By comparison, broadcast represented 19.2% of TV watch-time, while cable accounted for 20.4%. Together, broadcast and cable made up 39.6%, meaning streaming’s share was higher than the two traditional TV categories combined.

YouTube remained the leading media distributor, capturing a record 13.8% of total TV watch-time in May 2026, its third consecutive month as the largest distributor. Amazon Prime Video reached a platform-best 4.5% of TV usage. Its growth was supported by The Boys and live sports, with the platform’s 20 live sporting events generating 7.5 billion viewing minutes during the month.

Source: Nielsen

Video Streaming Users in the USA

Forbes estimated in 2020 that there were 1.1 billion subscriptions to online video streaming services worldwide. As of 2025, the number was closer to 1.8 billion. And the user penetration was around 17% in 2025, projected to reach 20.7% by 2027. The subscription growth has increased in the US from 52% in 2015 to 83% in 2023. As per the latest data from Business Insider, over 90% of US households have one or more subscriptions. 

Source: Exploding Topics, Business Insider

Video Streaming Users in India

India’s video consumption is becoming a multi-screen ecosystem, with traditional television continuing to have a massive reach alongside the expansion of digital streaming. Television reaches around 745 million individuals each week in India, showing that TV remains an important part of the country’s entertainment.

At the same time, India’s OTT market has expanded dramatically. According to the latest data, India now has 1.45 billion monthly active OTT users, with the overall OTT user base growing by 20% over the past three years.

The growth of streaming is being supported by affordable mobile data, rising smartphone penetration, and broader access to digital content. India’s smartphone user base is projected to reach around 885 million by FY28, creating an even larger potential audience for online video.

Rather than simply replacing television, streaming is contributing to a multi-screen viewing environment, where audiences increasingly move between traditional TV, connected TVs, smartphones, and other digital devices. This shift is particularly evident in connected-TV viewing: EY estimates that India had 68 million monthly active connected-TV sets in 2025, while 66% of connected-TV viewers consumed both OTT and linear TV content.

Source: EY Newsroom, Spherical Insights, FICCI-EY Report 2026

Streaming Overtakes TV in India’s Content Investment

India’s streaming industry reached an important milestone in 2025: online video accounted for 46% of the country’s video content investment, compared with 42% for television, according to Media Partners Asia’s Asia Video Content Dynamics 2026 report. India accounted for approximately $5 billion of video content investment across the seven Asian markets covered by the report.

This change is also reflected in viewing behavior. Indian users streamed an estimated 420 billion hours of online video in 2025, highlighting the scale of demand for digital content.

Source: The Economic Times

Time Spent Streaming: Usage Statistics

In 2025, audiences in the U.S. spent 16.7 trillion minutes streaming, equivalent to about 31.7 million years of viewing. That was a 19% increase from 14 trillion minutes in 2024, making 2025 the highest annual streaming volume recorded by Nielsen. Streaming also accounted for 47.5% of total TV viewing in December 2025, setting a new monthly record.

Source: Nielsen, Nielsen 2

Video Streaming User Behavior

According to a study by Deloitte, on average, consumers spend 6 hours a day with media and entertainment content. Out of this, they dedicate about 1.4 hours to watching TV shows or movies on streaming video services. The table below shows that the usage varies by generation. Gen Z and Millennials spend more time streaming, while the older generations like Boomers and Matures spend more time on Cable/Live TV shows.

The streaming preference is also different, and based on the device choice. Smart TVs are the dominant choice (66%) for watching TV shows or movies via streaming video services, while mobile phones or tablets are preferred for short-form videos (43%), long-form videos (48%), and social media scrolling (71%). Only 12% use mobile phones/tablets for watching TV shows or movies on streaming services, highlighting smart TVs’ importance for premium content.

Source: Deloitte

Features that Video Streaming Users Find Important 

As mentioned before, viewers spend at least 1.4 hours a day streaming. They have preferences that make them choose one streaming service over the other. For most people, cost (84%) plays a huge role when deciding which streaming platform to choose. Here are some other important things people take into consideration while subscribing to a streaming service.

Source: Exploding Topics

Major Streaming Services by Latest Reported Subscribers 

Netflix remains one of the largest subscription streaming services globally, crossing 325 million paid memberships by the end of 2025. Other major services also have substantial subscriber bases. Although companies report these figures differently, the figures in this table are the latest we could find on each platform from late 2025 to early 2026.

Netflix goes beyond numbers; it is not only the platform with the most subscribers, but it is also the streaming platform that people enjoy the most. It is followed by Amazon Prime Video, which is favored for its interface. Netflix’s success is not just because of its diverse content, but also because of providing an excellent user experience.

Netflix Statistics (Quick Glance)

Netflix remains one of the world’s largest streaming services, surpassing 325 million paid memberships in Q4 2025 across more than 190 countries. Netflix also reported that its audience was approaching 1 billion people globally, although this is an audience estimate rather than a subscriber count. The company stopped reporting membership numbers from 2025 onward, shifting its focus to revenue, operating margin, and engagement metrics.

Source: Netflix 2025 Q4 Shareholder Letter, Netflix Investor Relations

Amazon Prime Video Statistics (Quick Glance)

Amazon Prime Video has more than 200 million monthly viewers (not subscribers). Some users may subscribe to Amazon Prime and not Prime Video, which is why the number may seem uneven. But according to a Business of Apps report, Prime Video has 230 million users as of 2024. As of Q3 2025, Prime Video has more market share (20%) than Netflix (19%) in the US Market. The table below showcases the growth of Prime Video users over the years.

Source: Business of Apps

Disney Plus Statistics (Quick Glance)

Disney+ launched in 2019 and quickly built a global subscriber base. The service had 73.7 million paid subscribers at the end of 2020 and reached 131.6 million by the end of 2025. Here is the growth of Disney+ subscribers at the end of each fiscal year: 

Source: Statista

Top 10 Overall Streaming Programs (2025)

In 2025, Bluey remained the most-streamed program in the U.S., generating 45.2 billion viewing minutes on Disney+. Grey’s Anatomy followed with 40.9 billion minutes, while Netflix’s Stranger Things reached 40.0 billion minutes. Nielsen’s data shows that long-running library titles continued to account for much of the overall streaming viewing, alongside major streaming originals. 

Source: Nielsen

Top 10 Streaming Originals (2025)

Netflix had a particularly strong showing among the year’s streaming originals. Stranger Things led with 40.0 billion viewing minutes, followed by Squid Game and Wednesday. Nielsen’s original-series ranking also included Landman, Reacher, Ginny & Georgia, Love Island USA, The Night Agent, Love Is Blind, and Gabby’s Dollhouse. Here’s a table showing the performance of these shows:

Source: Nielsen

Top 10 Streaming Movies (2025)

For 2025, Nielsen changed the presentation of its movie rankings by separating Kids Movies from General Audience Movies. K-pop Demon Hunters was the year’s top kids movie with 20.5 to 20.6 billion minutes, while Happy Gilmore 2 led the General Audience category with 7.1 billion minutes.

Top Streaming Movies (Kids)

Top Streaming Movies (General Audiences)

Source: Nielsen

Audience Subscription Fatigue

Before taking a subscription, people do have second thoughts; this feeling is called subscription fatigue. It is a reaction people have when taking a new subscription, with many believing they are spending too much money on streaming. Indians feel like they spend too much on streaming, while many streamers in Brazil state the opposite. Still 40% agree that they do not cancel their existing subscriptions to sign up for a new one. Here’s a look at the percentage of people and their feelings of subscription fatigue across countries:

Source: Simon Kucher

Video Streaming Industry Trends 

The global streaming market is showing signs of maturity. While streaming usage remains strong, growth is slowing, subscription fatigue is becoming more visible, and consumers are becoming more selective about the services and content they pay for. At the same time, social media, live content, ad-supported plans, and bundled subscriptions are reshaping the competitive landscape.

Streaming Growth is Stabilizing

88% of respondents said they were streaming the same amount or more than the previous year. Simon-Kucher identifies India, Brazil, and the U.S. as the strongest-growth markets, while Europe is experiencing slower growth

Source: Simon Kucher

India, Brazil, and the U.S. Show Stronger Streaming Growth

The streaming market continues to grow, with India, Brazil, and the U.S. benefiting from particularly strong growth. But the growth has slowed down in mature markets like Europe (Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands). Spain and Singapore are seeing a similar increase in the share of users streaming, which also indicates stabilization in the video streaming industry in developed countries.

Source: Simon Kucher

The rise of content connoisseurs

There has been an increase in the awareness of what people are watching. The largest viewer segment is “content connoisseurs,” comprising 36%. These streamers always choose their content carefully according to their preferences. Binge watchers make up 30% of the streamers; they devour multiple episodes or movies in one sitting. Binge watching is especially prevalent in the USA, Sweden, and Brazil.

Source: Simon Kucher Global Streaming Study 2025 PDF

Decline of traditional TV watching

Traditional TV is increasingly replaced by streaming, particularly in Spain, India, and Singapore, where over 70% see streaming as a substitute for linear TV. Although traditional streaming services are increasingly replacing traditional TV for individual streaming users, linear television continues to play a meaningful role at a societal level.

Source: Simon Kucher

Increased streaming subscriptions across countries

The average number of paid subscriptions per user rose from 2.8 in 2024 to 3.0 in 2025 globally. India leads with an average of 4.4 subscriptions. Streaming budgets grew by 20% on average, with countries like the United States, Brazil, and Japan seeing the steepest increases in monthly spending. While India may have the highest number of paid streaming subscriptions per respondent, it also has the lowest share of paid subscribers across all countries (34%), while the Netherlands has the highest share of paid subscribers (68%).

Source: Simon Kucher

Social media preference over streaming

In 2025, over 46% people (18 to 39 years old) agreed that the activities on social media were replacing the time spent watching content on streaming services, which shows a rise from 43% in 2024. People are switching between streaming and social media. 48% of Gen Z and millennials agree that social media is as entertaining as streaming series.

Source: Simon Kucher

How streaming providers are retaining audiences

Providers are taking up various initiatives to retain viewers and increase subscribers. Some are providing more live streaming options while others are offering vouchers.

• Live streaming: A study into viewer behavior suggests that consumers spend 20% of their time live-streaming content like Sports (39%), concerts (39%), breaking news (35%), and gaming (20%).

• Ad-supported subscriptions: Many platforms offer lower-cost ad-supported subscriptions. Over 30% of Netflix and Disney+ subscribers are on ad tiers, which is nearly double that of 2024.

• Gaming add-on: Providers like Netflix are providing gaming integrations to increase retention. 41% of users are open to gaming integration, though only a few are ready to pay a little extra for it.

• Retail vouchers: There has been an increase in purchases of retail vouchers for streaming services. India (90%) leads in retail voucher engagement for streaming services. That means if providers offer discounts or bundles, users are more likely to subscribe. In countries like India, the US, the UK, Spain, Brazil, and Japan, over half of the paid subscribers have at least one streaming service through a bundle.

Source: Simon Kucher

Wrapping Up

The video streaming industry is entering a more mature phase, with subscription habits, viewing preferences, and business models continuing to evolve. As viewers use multiple platforms and streaming services expand ad-supported plans, bundles, and new content formats, competition for audience attention is becoming more complex. Going forward, pricing, content variety, user experience, and plan flexibility are likely to remain important factors shaping how people choose and use streaming services.