Streaming Revenue in America 2026
Streaming revenue in 2026 represents the culmination of one of the most dramatic structural shifts in the history of entertainment and media. What began as a niche, technology-first experiment in delivering movies over the internet has, by 2026, displaced traditional cable television as the dominant form of screen-based entertainment in the United States — and is rapidly doing the same across the world. According to Nielsen’s The Gauge, streaming captured 47.5% of all US television viewing in December 2025, the largest share ever recorded in the measurement firm’s history, while cable collapsed to just 20.2%. The global video streaming market was valued at approximately $214.6 billion in 2025, according to Omdia research, growing at a 12.8% annual rate — driven by subscription growth, the explosive expansion of ad-supported tiers, and the entry of major sports rights into streaming platforms that were once the exclusive province of linear television.
Netflix remains the undisputed global leader, ending 2025 with over 325 million paid subscribers and $45.18 billion in full-year revenue — a 15.84% year-over-year increase — while guiding for $50.7 billion to $51.7 billion in 2026 revenue. Disney’s Disney+ reached 131.6 million subscribers before the company stopped reporting the metric, and the combined Disney+ and Hulu streaming segment generated $1.33 billion in operating profit in fiscal 2025 — a stunning turnaround from the $4 billion annual operating loss Disney’s streaming business was running just three years earlier. Across the industry, the shift from subscription-only models toward hybrid ad-supported tiers is now the primary growth engine: Netflix’s ad-supported plan reached 94 million monthly active users as of May 2025, ad revenue more than doubled year-over-year, and Nielsen reports that 74.2% of all US TV viewing in Q4 2025 came from ad-supported platforms — the highest level ever measured. Streaming revenue in 2026 is no longer a future promise. It is the present reality of global entertainment economics.
Interesting Facts About Streaming Revenue in 2026
| Fact | Data Point |
|---|---|
| Global video streaming market value (2025, Omdia) | $214.6 billion |
| Global video streaming market projected value (2026) | ~$212.83–$277 billion |
| Netflix full-year revenue (2025) | $45.18 billion |
| Netflix 2026 revenue guidance | $50.7 billion – $51.7 billion |
| Netflix paid subscribers (end of 2025) | 325 million+ |
| Netflix ad-supported tier monthly active users (May 2025) | ~94 million |
| Netflix ad revenue growth in 2025 | More than 2.5x year-over-year |
| Disney+ subscribers (final report, Q4 FY2025) | 131.6 million |
| Hulu subscribers (final report, Q4 FY2025) | 64.1 million |
| Disney+ & Hulu combined operating profit (FY2025) | $1.33 billion |
| Max (HBO Max) global subscribers (Q3 2025) | 128 million |
| Paramount+ global subscribers (Q3 2025) | 79.1 million |
| Amazon Prime Video global subscribers | ~220 million |
| Peacock paid subscribers | 41 million |
| Streaming share of total US TV viewing (December 2025, Nielsen) | 47.5% — all-time record |
| Cable share of total US TV viewing (December 2025, Nielsen) | 20.2% — all-time low |
| Ad-supported share of total US TV viewing (Q4 2025, Nielsen) | 74.2% |
| Global SVOD market revenue (2025, Statista) | ~$119 billion |
| US SVOD market revenue (2025, Statista) | ~$47.89 billion |
Source: Netflix Q4 2025 Earnings Letter (January 2026); The Walt Disney Company Q4 FY2025 Earnings (November 2025) and Q1 FY2026 Earnings (February 2026); Omdia Global Streaming Key Trends Report (October 2025); Nielsen The Gauge December 2025 (January 20, 2026); Nielsen Q4 2025 Ad Supported Gauge (February 4, 2026); The Wrap streaming tracker (November 2025); Statista SVOD Worldwide Outlook
The breadth of these numbers reveals an industry that has crossed a decisive inflection point. When streaming accounts for 47.5% of all US television viewing and cable falls to a record-low 20.2%, the long-predicted structural disruption of linear television has not just arrived — it has accelerated past most industry forecasts. The $214.6 billion global streaming market value in 2025 and the projection that it will grow toward $277 billion by 2026 reflect not just subscriber growth, but the maturation of advertising as a second major revenue pillar alongside subscriptions. The fact that Netflix’s ad-supported plan alone reached 94 million monthly active users by May 2025 — within just two years of launching the tier — tells you everything about where consumer demand is gravitating: toward flexibility, lower-cost access, and hybrid models that allow platforms to extract revenue from both subscription fees and advertiser spending simultaneously.
The platform-level profitability turnaround is equally striking. Disney’s streaming business swung from a $4 billion annual operating loss three years ago to $1.33 billion in profit in FY2025 — a transformation that represents some of the most aggressive and successful restructuring in modern media history. Warner Bros. Discovery’s Max generated $345 million in streaming profit in Q2 2025 alone, remaining on track for at least $1.3 billion in full-year 2025 streaming profit. Even Paramount+ swung meaningfully toward profitability, while Peacock continued narrowing losses. The era of streaming services burning cash to buy subscribers has ended. The era of streaming as a genuine, large-scale profitable business has arrived.
Netflix Revenue & Subscriber Statistics in the US 2026
| Metric | Data |
|---|---|
| Netflix full-year revenue (2025) | $45.18 billion |
| Netflix YoY revenue growth (2025) | 15.84% |
| Netflix 2026 revenue guidance | $50.7 billion – $51.7 billion |
| Netflix 2026 expected revenue growth | 12%–14% |
| Netflix Q4 2025 revenue | $12.05 billion (+17.6% YoY) |
| Netflix Q3 2025 revenue | $11.51 billion (+17% YoY) |
| Netflix Q2 2025 revenue | $11.08 billion (+15.9% YoY) |
| Netflix Q1 2025 revenue | $10.54 billion (+13% YoY) |
| Netflix paid subscribers (end of 2025) | 325 million+ |
| Netflix paid subscribers (end of 2024) | 301.6 million |
| Netflix subscribers added in 2025 | ~23 million |
| Netflix subscribers added in 2024 | 41.32 million |
| US Netflix subscribers | ~81.44 million |
| Netflix ad-supported monthly active users (May 2025) | ~94 million |
| Netflix ad revenue growth (2025) | More than 2.5x year-over-year |
| Netflix ad revenue (2025 estimate) | Over $1.5 billion |
| Netflix 2025 content spend | ~$18 billion |
| Netflix planned 2026 content spend | ~$20 billion (+10% increase) |
| Netflix net income (2025, Q4 alone) | $2.42 billion (+29% YoY) |
| Netflix US SVOD market share | ~21% |
| Netflix global TV viewing share (July 2025, Nielsen) | 7.9% |
| Netflix H2 2025 viewing hours | 96 billion hours (+2% YoY) |
Source: Netflix Q4 2025 Shareholder Letter and Earnings Release (January 21, 2026); Variety Netflix Q4 2025 earnings report; Technotrenz Netflix Statistics 2026; DemandSage Netflix Subscribers 2026; Nielsen The Gauge (July 2025)
Netflix’s financial performance in 2025 reinforces its position as the most dominant company in the history of the streaming industry. Full-year revenue of $45.18 billion — generated on a quarter-by-quarter acceleration throughout the year, from $10.54 billion in Q1 to $12.05 billion in Q4 — puts Netflix on a trajectory toward $50+ billion in 2026, which is precisely the midpoint of its own guidance range of $50.7 billion to $51.7 billion. The deceleration in subscriber additions from 41 million in 2024 to approximately 23 million in 2025 is notable but must be read in context: Netflix now serves over 325 million paying households globally, and the company has explicitly redirected its growth focus from subscriber headcount to revenue quality — a shift underscored by its decision in Q1 2025 to stop reporting quarterly subscriber numbers altogether, citing revenue as “a more meaningful measure of the health of its business.”
The advertising business is the most important structural development in Netflix’s 2025 story. The ad-supported tier reaching 94 million monthly active users and generating more than $1.5 billion in ad revenue — a 2.5x year-over-year increase — reflects a complete reversal of the company’s founding philosophy of ad-free viewing. Netflix’s 2026 guidance calls for ad revenue to roughly double again, suggesting the advertising business could approach or exceed $3 billion annually by end of 2026. Combined with a $20 billion content budget for 2026 — a 10% increase over 2025 — Netflix is simultaneously deepening its content moat and diversifying its revenue streams in ways that make it structurally more resilient than any other platform in the competitive streaming landscape.
Disney+ & Hulu Streaming Revenue Statistics in 2026
| Metric | Data |
|---|---|
| Disney+ subscribers (Q4 FY2025, final report) | 131.6 million |
| Disney+ US & Canada subscribers (Q4 FY2025) | 59.3 million |
| Hulu subscribers (Q4 FY2025, final report) | 64.1 million |
| Disney+ & Hulu combined subscribers (Q4 FY2025) | 195.7 million |
| Disney DTC revenue (Q4 FY2025 — Disney+ & Hulu) | $5.35 billion (+11% YoY) |
| Disney DTC operating income (Q4 FY2025) | $450 million (+72% YoY) |
| Disney DTC revenue (Q3 FY2025) | $6.25 billion (+8% YoY) |
| Disney DTC operating income (Q3 FY2025) | $352 million (+39% YoY) |
| Disney+ & Hulu combined profit (FY2025 full year) | $1.33 billion |
| Disney+ & Hulu combined profit (FY2024 full year) | $143 million |
| Disney expected streaming profit (Q1 FY2026) | $375 million |
| Disney DTC operating income (Q1 FY2026) | $450 million |
| Disney+ available markets | 150+ countries and territories |
| Walt Disney Company total revenue (FY2025) | $94.4 billion |
| Disney ad-supported subscriber share (global) | ~44% on ad-supported plans |
| ESPN+ last reported subscribers | 24.1 million (Q3 FY2025) |
| Lilo & Stitch views (first 5 days on Disney+) | 14.3 million views |
Source: The Walt Disney Company Q4 FY2025 Earnings Press Release (November 13, 2025) — thewaltdisneycompany.com; Variety Disney Q4 2025 earnings (November 13, 2025); Variety Disney Q1 FY2026 earnings (February 2, 2026); The Wrap streaming profit tracker; DemandSage Disney+ subscribers 2026
The Disney streaming transformation between 2022 and 2025 is one of the most dramatic financial turnarounds in media industry history. Three years ago, Bob Iger returned to Disney as CEO to find a streaming business hemorrhaging approximately $4 billion per year in operating losses. By fiscal year 2025, that same business generated $1.33 billion in combined Disney+ and Hulu operating profit — a swing of more than $5 billion in operating income in just three years. The final quarter before Disney stopped reporting subscriber metrics showed the trajectory: Q4 FY2025 DTC operating income surged 72% year-over-year to $450 million, with revenue up 11% to $5.35 billion. Q3 FY2025 operating income rose 39% to $352 million on revenue of $6.25 billion. Entering 2026, Disney guided for $375 million in streaming profit for Q1 FY2026 alone — a pace that, if sustained, implies an annualized streaming profit approaching or exceeding $1.5 billion for fiscal 2026.
The strategic decisions driving this profitability are clear: aggressive price increases, the elimination of deep content investment losses, integration of Hulu’s full acquisition (completed in June 2025), and the expansion of ad-supported plans that now account for approximately 44% of Disney+ subscriber accounts globally. Disney is also executing a major platform integration in 2026 that merges the Hulu and Disney+ apps into a unified streaming experience while maintaining the ability to purchase them as standalone services — a move designed to reduce churn, increase watch time, and push subscribers toward higher-value bundle plans. The ESPN direct-to-consumer launch in August 2025 added another strategic layer, with 80% of ESPN DTC signups coming through the trio bundle of Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN — exactly the bundling strategy Disney needed to monetize its sports rights portfolio in the streaming era.
Max (HBO Max), Paramount+ & Peacock Streaming Revenue Statistics in 2026
| Platform | Subscribers | Revenue / Profitability Data |
|---|---|---|
| Max (Warner Bros. Discovery) | 128 million globally (Q3 2025) | $345 million Q2 2025 streaming profit; on track for $1.3B+ FY2025 profit |
| Max target subscribers (end of 2026) | 150 million | Sustained profitability expected |
| Paramount+ | 79.1 million (Q3 2025) | DTC revenue +15% YoY; subscription revenue +22% YoY in Q2 2025 |
| Paramount+ DTC Q2 2025 revenue | $2.044 billion total DTC | Subscription revenue grew 24% YoY in Q2 2025 |
| Peacock (Comcast/NBCUniversal) | 41 million paid (Q3 2025) | Loss of $217 million in Q3 2025 (narrowed from $436M loss prior year) |
| Peacock ARPU | ~$10/month | Price raised $3/month in mid-2025 |
| Apple TV+ | ~45.9 million | Not separately reported by Apple |
| Amazon Prime Video | ~220 million | Bundled with Prime; ad tier launched early 2024 |
| Combined top 7 SVOD ad revenue by 2030 (Omdia forecast) | — | $24.3 billion (20% of combined revenue) |
Source: The Wrap streaming subscriber & profit tracker (November 2025); Paramount Global Q2 2025 SEC Form 8-K (July 31, 2025); Comcast/Peacock earnings Q3 2025; Omdia Global Streaming Key Trends Report (October 2025); Straits Research SVOD data 2025
Warner Bros. Discovery’s Max has quietly assembled one of the most credible streaming profitability stories in the industry. With 128 million global subscribers as of Q3 2025 — sitting in third place globally behind Netflix’s 325 million and Amazon Prime Video’s approximately 220 million — Max generated $345 million in streaming profit in Q2 2025 alone and remains on track for at least $1.3 billion in full-year streaming profit for 2025. The service has set a target of reaching 150 million global subscribers by end of 2026, a goal that requires sustained international expansion but is broadly consistent with its current growth trajectory. ARPU pressure in the US over the near term — noted by company executives — is being managed through content investment including UFC rights, South Park, and several hundred million dollars in new film and series commitments for the platform.
Paramount+ delivered one of 2025’s more impressive subscriber momentum stories despite the operational turbulence of the Skydance acquisition. DTC subscription revenue grew 24% year-over-year in Q2 2025, driven by subscriber growth and pricing improvements, and the service recorded its lowest-ever churn rate in the same quarter. Global watch time per subscriber increased 17% year-over-year, a metric that speaks to improving content engagement and a subscriber base that is genuinely embedded in its programming. Peacock, by contrast, is still in its loss-narrowing phase — the service cut its quarterly loss from $436 million to $217 million year-over-year in Q3 2025, an improvement driven by a $3/month price hike and the ongoing growth of its sports-heavy content strategy. Management has not disclosed a timeline for reaching profitability, but the trajectory is clear and the question is now when, not whether.
Global Streaming Market Revenue Statistics in 2026
| Metric | Data |
|---|---|
| Global video streaming revenue (2025, Omdia) | $214.6 billion (+12.8% YoY) |
| Global video streaming market projected (2026, NAB/Viaccess-Orca) | ~$212.83 billion |
| Global media streaming market (2026, Research and Markets) | $158.14 billion |
| Global SVOD market revenue (2025, Statista) | ~$119.09 billion |
| US SVOD market revenue (2025, Statista) | ~$47.89 billion |
| Global SVOD market CAGR (2025–2030, Statista) | 6.66% |
| Global SVOD users projected by 2030 | 1.80 billion |
| Online video subscription revenue share (2025) | 77% of total streaming |
| Global premium ad revenue from streaming (2025, Omdia) | $42.1 billion (+15.6% YoY) |
| North America share of global streaming market (2025) | ~37.70% |
| LATAM streaming media revenues forecast (2026) | $65 billion |
| Global “Big Five” SVOD ad revenue by 2030 (Omdia forecast) | $24.3 billion |
| Global AVOD market value (2025, SNS Insider) | $54.14 billion |
| US AVOD market value (2025) | $18.52 billion |
| Combined global TV & online video market (target by 2030) | $1 trillion |
Source: Omdia Global Streaming Key Trends 2025–30 Report (October 2025); Statista Video Streaming (SVoD) Worldwide Outlook; Fortune Business Insights Video Streaming Market (2025); Research and Markets Media Streaming Global Report 2026; SNS Insider AVOD Market Report 2025; Viaccess-Orca Streaming in the Americas (April 2026)
The global streaming market in 2026 is a multi-layered, multi-hundred-billion-dollar industry that has fundamentally replaced traditional pay television as the world’s primary screen entertainment infrastructure. Omdia’s research, one of the most authoritative sources on global video economics, places 2025 global video streaming revenue at $214.6 billion — growing at 12.8% annually — with online video subscriptions accounting for 77% of the total. The global premium advertising revenue from streaming platforms reached $42.1 billion in 2025, a 15.6% increase over 2024, reflecting advertisers’ rapid migration toward streaming-native placements and away from traditional linear television budgets. North America remains the largest single streaming market, holding approximately 37.7% of global streaming revenue — but its dominance is slowly diluting as Latin America, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East each add tens of millions of new streaming subscribers annually.
The most consequential long-term data point from Omdia’s research is the projection that the combined global online video and traditional TV market will reach $1 trillion in annual revenue by 2030 — and that every dollar of that growth will come from online video, because traditional pay TV revenue is essentially flat. This creates an unusually clear investment thesis for the streaming sector: the total addressable market is enormous, it is growing, and the incumbent technology (cable and satellite television) is in structural decline. LATAM streaming revenues are forecast to reach $65 billion in 2026, growing at 10.7% year-on-year — nearly double the US growth rate — with Brazil alone accounting for over 40% of regional streaming revenue. The headroom is vast: with only an estimated 131 million VOD subscribers across LATAM by 2026 against a population exceeding 600 million, the penetration opportunity dwarfs that of any other major market.
Streaming vs. Cable Viewing Share Statistics in the US 2026
| Metric | Data |
|---|---|
| Streaming share of total US TV viewing (December 2025, Nielsen) | 47.5% — all-time record |
| Streaming share of total US TV viewing (July 2025, Nielsen) | 47.3% |
| Streaming share of total US TV viewing (May 2025, Nielsen) | 44.8% |
| First month streaming surpassed broadcast + cable combined | May 2025 |
| Cable share of total US TV viewing (December 2025) | 20.2% — all-time low |
| Broadcast share of total US TV viewing (December 2025) | 21.4% |
| Christmas Day 2025 streaming viewing minutes | 55.1 billion minutes (new record) |
| Christmas Day 2025 streaming share of TV | 54% |
| Streaming growth since 2020 (Nielsen, four-year comparison) | +71% |
| Cable decline since 2020 (Nielsen) | –39% |
| Broadcast decline since 2020 (Nielsen) | –21% |
| Netflix share of all US TV viewing (July 2025) | 7.9% |
| YouTube share of all US TV viewing (July 2025) | 10.6% |
| FAST (Tubi, Roku, Pluto) combined US TV share (May 2025) | 5.7% — more than any broadcast network |
| US households that have cut the cord | 80+ million |
| US CTV (connected TV) households (August 2025, Comscore) | 96.4 million |
| Analysts’ projection for streaming’s 50%+ monthly average | By mid-2026 |
Source: Nielsen The Gauge December 2025 (January 20, 2026); Nielsen The Gauge July 2025; Nielsen The Gauge May 2025 (June 2025); Nielsen The Gauge April 2025 (May 20, 2025); Comscore CTV data August 2025; Adwave cord-cutting Q4 2025 analysis
The Nielsen data on streaming vs. cable in the US tells the defining media industry story of 2026 in the clearest possible terms. In December 2025, streaming claimed 47.5% of all television viewing — the largest share ever recorded in the history of Nielsen’s measurement — while cable fell to 20.2%, its lowest share ever. Christmas Day 2025 made history twice: it was the second day in history where daily streaming volume exceeded 50 billion minutes, with Netflix’s back-to-back NFL games followed by Stranger Things Season 5 driving 55.1 billion streaming minutes — an 8% increase over the previous single-day record. In May 2025, streaming crossed another milestone that most analysts had anticipated but still marked a psychological turning point: for the first time ever, streaming (at 44.8%) surpassed the combined viewing share of broadcast (20.1%) and cable (24.1%). That crossing of 50% was not a permanent feature of May — but it signaled the structural direction undeniably.
The four-year change figures from Nielsen are worth pausing on: streaming viewership has surged 71% since May 2021, while cable has declined 39% and broadcast has declined 21% over the same period. These are not marginal shifts. They are category-defining collapses and ascensions that are reshaping how billions of dollars in advertising budgets are allocated, how content studios greenlight projects, and how telecommunications companies think about their core business models. The FAST (free ad-supported streaming television) category — led by Tubi, Roku Channel, and Pluto TV — now collectively commands 5.7% of total US TV viewing, more than any individual broadcast network. Over 80 million US households have cut the cord entirely, and industry analysts project that streaming will sustain over 50% of total US TV viewing on a monthly basis by mid-2026 — at which point the majority of television, by definition, will be streaming.
Ad-Supported Streaming Revenue Statistics in the US 2026
| Metric | Data |
|---|---|
| Ad-supported share of total US TV viewing (Q4 2025, Nielsen) | 74.2% — all-time 2025 high |
| Ad-supported share of total US TV viewing (Q2 2025, Nielsen) | 73.6% |
| Ad-supported share of total US TV viewing (Q1 2025, Nielsen) | 72.4% |
| Ad-supported viewing growth Q3 to Q4 2025 | +9% (vs. +7% total TV growth) |
| Streaming share of ad-supported TV viewing (Q4 2025) | 45.6% |
| Streaming share of 18–49 ad-supported TV viewing (Nielsen 2026 Guide) | 66.7% |
| Share of 18–49 TV viewing on ad-supported tiers of platforms | 81.1% |
| Netflix ad-supported MAU (May 2025) | ~94 million |
| Netflix ad revenue (2025) | $1.5+ billion |
| Netflix 2026 ad revenue expectation | Roughly doubles again |
| US AVOD market value (2025) | $18.52 billion |
| Global AVOD market value (2025, SNS Insider) | $54.14 billion |
| Global AVOD market value projected (2033) | $218.31 billion |
| Ad-supported tiers’ share of US SVOD subscriptions | 46% (up from 33% in 2023) |
| Net subscriber additions accounted for by ad tiers (past 9 quarters) | 71% |
| FAST channels active globally (early 2025) | 1,610 active channels (+42% since mid-2023) |
| Gen X viewers who buy products based on streaming TV ads | 28% (Nielsen 2026 Upfront Guide) |
Source: Nielsen Q4 2025 Ad Supported Gauge (February 4, 2026); Nielsen 2026 Upfront Planning Guide (March 12, 2026); Nielsen Q2 2025 Ad Supported Gauge; Netflix Q4 2025 earnings; SNS Insider AVOD Market Research 2025; Viaccess-Orca Streaming in the Americas (April 2026)
The ad-supported streaming market in 2026 has emerged as the industry’s primary growth engine — and the data from Nielsen’s Ad Supported Gauge makes this abundantly clear. In Q4 2025, 74.2% of all US television viewing occurred on ad-supported platforms, the highest level measured throughout the entire year. Ad-supported viewing grew 9% quarter-over-quarter from Q3 to Q4 — outpacing the 7% growth in total TV viewing — driven by football season programming and surging engagement among 18–49 year-old adults. Within streaming specifically, 81.1% of viewing by adults 18–49 occurs on the ad-supported tiers of platforms like YouTube, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Peacock, and Paramount+. This is not a marginal phenomenon: four out of every five minutes that young adults spend streaming is on an ad-supported service. Ad-supported tiers now account for 46% of all US premium SVOD subscriptions, up from 33% in 2023, and have been responsible for 71% of net subscriber additions across the past nine quarters.
The advertising revenue implications are enormous. Netflix’s transformation into an ad business — from zero ad revenue in late 2022 to $1.5+ billion in 2025 and projections that effectively double that in 2026 — is the single most significant monetization story in streaming. Disney’s streaming ad revenue surged to help hit a $5.3 billion milestone in Q1 FY2026. Hulu is projected to generate the highest US ad revenue of $5 billion among streaming services by 2026, supported by the strength of its live TV bundle and its long-established advertiser relationships. The global picture is equally compelling: SNS Insider values the global AVOD market at $54.14 billion in 2025, projected to reach $218.31 billion by 2033 — a compound annual growth rate exceeding 19%. For advertisers, the shift of the 18–49 demographic overwhelmingly to streaming-native ad-supported environments is not a trend to prepare for. It has already happened.
Streaming Pricing & Subscription Plans Statistics in the US 2026
| Platform | Ad-Supported Plan (Monthly) | Ad-Free Plan (Monthly) | Premium/Max Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Netflix | $7.99 (Standard with Ads) | $17.99 (Standard) | $24.99 (4K Ultra HD) |
| Disney+ | $9.99 | $15.99 | — |
| Hulu | $9.99 | $18.99 | $83.99 (Live TV bundle) |
| Max (HBO Max) | $9.99 | $16.99 | $20.99 (Ultimate) |
| Paramount+ | $8.99 (+$1 increase Jan 2026) | $13.99 (with Showtime) | — |
| Peacock | $10.99 (Premium with ads) | $16.99 (Premium Plus) | $7.99 (Peacock Select) |
| Apple TV+ | No ad tier | $9.99 | — |
| Amazon Prime Video | $8.99 standalone | $14.99/month (Prime) | — |
| Combined cost of top 7 ad-free SVOD platforms | — | ~$97.94/month | — |
| Average streaming revenue per user globally (2025, Statista) | — | $78.97 | — |
| Average streaming revenue per user projected (2027) | — | $83.69 | — |
Source: Tom’s Guide streaming price guide 2026; SatelliteInternet.com/CableTV.com streaming pricing; Straits Research SVOD platform data; Statista SVOD ARPU Worldwide Outlook
Streaming pricing in 2026 reflects an industry that has collectively moved away from the race-to-the-bottom subscriber acquisition strategy of its early years and toward disciplined, value-based pricing that prioritizes long-term profitability over short-term headcount growth. Every major platform has raised prices at least once in the past 18 months. Netflix’s premium 4K tier now costs $24.99 per month, while its ad-supported entry tier sits at $7.99 — a pricing architecture explicitly designed to funnel the most price-sensitive subscribers toward the advertising model rather than churn them entirely. Paramount+ raised its Essential (ad-supported) plan by $1 to $8.99/month as of January 2026, following similar moves by Peacock, Disney+, and Max. The cumulative effect is sobering: the combined cost of the top seven ad-free streaming platforms in 2025 is approximately $97.94 per month — essentially matching the cost of a traditional cable bundle that streaming was originally supposed to be a cheaper alternative to.
This “subscription fatigue” dynamic is, paradoxically, the biggest driver of ad-supported tier growth. As prices rise, consumers increasingly choose hybrid plans that preserve access to premium content while accepting advertising in exchange for a lower monthly bill. 46% of all US SVOD subscriptions are now on ad-supported plans, and this share is growing every quarter. The global average streaming revenue per user of $78.97 in 2025, expected to grow to $83.69 by 2027, reflects the industry’s ability to extract more value per subscriber through this blended model — serving each user with a combination of subscription fees and advertising revenue that collectively exceeds what most subscribers paid on a pure subscription basis just three years ago. For streaming services, the math is working. For consumers who value an ad-free experience, the price of that preference continues to rise.
Disclaimer: The data research report we present here is based on information found from various sources. We are not liable for any financial loss, errors, or damages of any kind that may result from the use of the information herein. We acknowledge that though we try to report accurately, we cannot verify the absolute facts of everything that has been represented.
