From growth to gains: UK streaming enters its next chapter

Simon-Kucher’s Global Streaming Study 2025 reveals a maturing industry where monetization, personalization, and interactivity define the next frontier for the UK market 

[London, 8 July 2025] – Global streaming growth has stabilized, signalling a shift toward innovation beyond subscriber growth, according to global growth consultancy Simon-Kucher’s latest study. Over 12,000 subscribers surveyed revealed rising demand for ad-tiers, bundles, and live content, as well as growing competition from social media.  

In the UK, growth in streaming time is lower than the global average, but multiple leading churn indicators suggest a more loyal population of subscribers. 

“Streaming services still want to show they are growing,” says Jonathon Grant, Senior Director at Simon-Kucher. “But now face the challenge of sustaining that growth. A targeted approach to monetization through advertising innovation, bundled access, and engaging content is crucial.”  

Key findings and implications: 

Streaming stabilizes – but viewers are more selective, not switching off.  

• Growth in streaming has slowed, with UK growth still positive but lower than the global average. The ‘net’ share of streamers spending more time streaming than the year before is +16% vs +22% globally.   

• Churn is declining. Only 33 percent of UK streamers plan to cancel in the next 12 months, down 2 percentage points from 2024 and 2 percentage points lower than the global average. 

• At the same time, 38 percent feel they are spending too much money on streaming, 4 percentage points lower than the global average. 

• The average number of subscriptions per person in the UK has increased slightly this year from 2.5 to 2.6 but is still below the global average of 3 subscriptions per person. 

Implication: Consumers aren’t leaving streaming – they’re more loyal, especially in the UK, but also more selective. Many are increasing their streaming budgets and holding on to multiple subscriptions. To stay in the mix, platforms must focus on perceived value, offering affordable, flexible models that feel worth keeping. 

Ad tiers double: cost-conscious viewers reshape the model 

• Ad-supported plans now make up over a quarter of Netflix (32 percent) and Disney+ (28 percent) subscriptions in the UK, nearly double last year’s share. 

• Netflix leads in capturing new subscribers via ad-supported packages; 49 percent are entirely new customers in the UK. 

• 48 percent of UK users at risk of cancelling say they’d stay for a cheaper ad-supported plan. 

Implication: Ad-tiers aren’t just a fallback they’re a growth engine. With the right targeting and transparency, they can boost acquisition and retention at the same time. 

Live content surges: on-demand isn’t enough 

• 28 percent of UK streamers, especially younger viewers, say they want more live streaming – including sports, concerts, news and cultural events. 

Implication: The appetite for live experiences is real. Platforms that invest in curated live content can increase stickiness without overextending their original content budgets. 

Bundles go mainstream: simplicity drives adoption 

• Over half (51 percent) of UK subscribers now opt for bundled streaming packages, especially through telecom providers. 

• Looking across other countries, this trend is especially strong in India (67 percent) and Spain (62 percent), whilst Australians lag behind the pack (34 percent). 

Implication: Bundling is no longer only a churn defence – it’s a mainstream way consumers manage their streaming budgets. Partnerships with telcos and platforms offer providers an effective route to affordability and convenience, meeting consumer demand for simplicity and better value. 

Streaming vs. social: the race for attention intensifies 

• Almost half (49 percent) of UK under-40s view social media as a substitute for streaming. 

• In fast-moving markets like India and Singapore, that share is even higher (72 percent and 56 percent respectively). 

Implication: Streaming providers aren’t just competing with other platforms – they’re competing with TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. To win attention, content must be interactive, shareable, and create an appetite for more: bite size content on those platforms can spark interest and pull viewers back to full-length experiences. 

“The market is adapting to the lower-growth environment,” concludes Grant. “With ad-supported packages overcoming price-related barriers to purchase, many UK streamers are willing to pay for several services. However, to earn their engagement and ensure they stay in the long term, platforms will need to balance monetisation vs revenue across the customer lifecycle while ensuring there’s the right mix of prime content that hooks viewers and encourages subscription as well as the nostalgia and comfort content that encourages retention.” 

Complete study findings are available upon request, including country splits. 

*About the Study: The Global Streaming Study 2025 was conducted April - May 2025 by the global consultancy Simon-Kucher. More than 12,000 streamers from across 11 countries (Australia, Brazil, Germany, India, Japan, Netherlands, Sweden, Singapore, Spain, UK, US) were surveyed on their streaming behaviours and preferences. Global averages have been calculated based on the countries included in both the 2024 and 2025 studies, to allow for direct comparison. 

Janine McCormac 
Email: janine.mccormac@simon-kucher.com 

Jonathon Grant 
Tel.: +44 7720 088471 
Email: jonathon.grant@simon-kucher.com 

About Simon-Kucher 

Simon-Kucher is a global consultancy with more than 2,000 employees in 30+ countries. Our sole focus is on unlocking better growth that drives measurable revenue and profit for our clients. We achieve this by optimizing every lever of their commercial strategy – product, price, innovation, marketing, and sales – based on deep insights into what customers want and value. With 40 years of experience in monetization topics of all kinds, we are regarded as the world’s leading pricing and growth specialist. simon-kucher.com