Omdia: Streaming Subscribers Hit 2.24B, Revenue Overtakes Pay-TV
According to an Omdia report, global online video subscriptions reached 2.24 billion and generated $176 billion in revenue by the end of 2025, surpassing pay-TV for the first time. The surge was primarily driven by the uptake of lower-cost, ad-supported streaming plans, though Omdia expects growth to slow from 2026 as markets mature and platforms shift toward revenue optimization over subscriber acquisition.
Key Takeaways
- Online video subscriptions increased 17.6% yearly to 2.24 billion by end of 2025, the strongest growth since 2021.
- Streaming generated $176 billion in 2025 subscription and transactional revenue, exceeding pay-TV's $170 billion.
- Ad-supported plans, often bundled by telcos and pay-TV providers, were a primary driver of the 2025 subscriber surge.
- Omdia forecasts online video subscription growth will slow to 5.6% in 2026 as markets mature.
Why It Matters
The streaming industry has decisively outpaced pay-TV in both subscriber volume and revenue, marking a critical inflection point. This shift highlights the success of lower-cost, ad-supported offerings in attracting new users, though at a lower average revenue per user. Service providers are now pivoting from aggressive subscriber acquisition to revenue optimization through price increases and fuller monetization of existing customers. Watch for how platforms balance ARPU growth with subscriber retention in increasingly saturated markets, particularly as growth rates normalize to low single digits in the coming years.
Read full article at indiantelevision.com
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