eMarketer reports that ad-supported streaming tiers are now the primary driver of new subscriber growth in the US, with 71% of net new SVOD subscribers over the past nine quarters coming from ad-supported plans. Nearly half of all US streaming subscribers (46%) now pay for ad-supported tiers, demonstrating consumer willingness to accept ads for lower costs and high platform retention for these plans.
Ad-supported tiers are now doing most of the subscriber-growth work in US streaming, which means pricing and ad load are increasingly tied to acquisition. The pattern spans Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, Peacock, HBO Max, and Amazon Prime Video, so hybrid monetization is no longer a niche add-on. Antenna’s clearest watchpoint is retention: its Q2 2025 report found no significant difference between ad-supported and ad-free subscribers, even as 65% of ad-supported users are new to the platforms and 23% are win-backs.
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