According to data from Omdia, global online video subscriptions reached 2.24 billion at the end of 2025, marking a 17.6% year-over-year increase.
However, as the market enters a more mature phase, this video subscription growth is expected to slow down to single digits in 2026. In terms of revenue, the online video sector surpassed pay-TV for the first time in 2025, with online video revenues climbing 13.5% to $176 billion, while pay-TV revenues declined by 4% to $170 billion.
Global pay-TV subscriptions continued their gradual decline, falling 1.8% annually to 1.03 billion, whereas online video cemented its market dominance by accounting for 68.4% of the combined 3.3 billion video subscription volume across both sectors.
The primary catalyst for the strong 17.6% subscription surge in 2025 was the introduction of discounted, ad-supported low-cost packages offered by telecom operators and pay-TV providers. The popularity of these affordable tiers explains why subscription numbers grew so rapidly while revenue growth remained comparatively moderate at 13.5%.
Looking ahead, platforms are shifting their strategies away from purely increasing subscriber numbers toward maximizing revenue from their existing customer base.
Consequently, price hikes for ad-free premium tiers are anticipated to continue in the coming period, and with core markets reaching saturation, overall subscription growth for 2026 is projected to hover around 5.6% as platforms prioritize profitability.
