Streaming video growth is shifting. Price hikes are slowing subscription revenue gains while ad-supported tiers take on a bigger role. Services must balance consumer fatigue with funding content and unlocking new ad revenues.

Streaming’s new reality is testing viewers as rising prices, heavier ad loads, and uneven experiences push them to reassess what they keep. Value, tolerance, and convenience now drive the fight for attention.

Netflix's Q2 2025 earnings results came in at $11.1 billion in total revenues. The company’s shift away from reporting net subscriber growth now places investor focus squarely on margins, ad performance, and global monetization. While churn remains low and its brand strong, Netflix faces growing competition from YouTube and TikTok for user screen time. With hit content, live sports, and gaming on deck, the streaming giant’s next act will test its ability to monetize an already massive user base while retaining cultural dominance. For Netflix, growth now means doing more with what it already has.

As one of the hottest areas of digital advertising, CTV ad spending’s streak of annual double-digit increases could end thanks to tariffs.

Ad-supported streaming now drives most new subscriptions: Platforms are embracing ads as a primary monetization strategy, not a fallback.

As streaming subscription prices increase, viewers are becoming more amendable to ad-supported tiers.

This year, streaming services will finally earn more than traditional TV in subscription revenues.

Streaming services are leaning more on advertising than they used to, resulting in increased overall ad spending but lower ad prices.

Streaming services are offering a multitude of bundles as they try to expand their ad-supported audiences.

The number of companies generating more than $1 billion in annual US CTV ad sales more than doubled from two in 2020 to five in 2024. With ad dollars spreading out among services, a few streaming platforms stand out because of their heavy usage.

Advertisers and tech vendors look to capitalize on CTV’s growing importance in digital advertising.

Politics will buoy linear TV ad spending this year, but allocations will continue to shift toward streaming options that keep gaining ad-supported viewers.

Netflix and YouTube are siphoning subscription revenues from pay TV’s losses. By the end of 2025, more than half of US video subscription revenues will go to streaming services.

New forecasts for US Amazon CTV ad revenues and ad-supported viewers for select streaming services.

Among major streaming services, Netflix’s time spent share exceeds ad revenues the most, indicating it has the most room to expand.

Netflix’s advertising strategy is evolving as streaming services raise subscription prices to sway users to ad-supported tiers.

Streaming makes ad spending gains, Netflix experiences growing pains, and advertisers encounter a soft upfront market.

YouTube isn’t just for the smallest screens as more viewing takes place on other connected devices and mobile use declines. Streamers are taking in more upfront ad dollars. Netflix is shaking things up after subscription drops.

Connected TV ad spending continues to expand substantially.

More video viewers turn to ad-supported video-on-demand (AVOD) and free streaming options.