100 Million Subscriptions Reached in Ad-Supported Streaming Services

Antenna recently reported that ad-supported streaming services have reached an impressive milestone, with around 100 million subscriptions as of the first quarter of 2025. This shows a significant increase from the 53 million subscriptions just two years ago.

According to Antenna’s findings, a majority of ad-supported subscribers in the U.S. were new users, accounting for 65% of the total. Additionally, 23% were “win backs,” customers who had previously subscribed, canceled, and then returned to the ad-supported tier, while 11% switched over from an ad-free plan.

Leading the pack in terms of ad-supported plans was Hulu with 24%, closely followed by Peacock at 22%, and Netflix at 15%. Paramount+ and Disney+ each held 14% of the market share, with Max at 8%, and Discovery+ at 3%.

Taking a closer look at Netflix specifically, Antenna found that 44% of ad-supported subscribers were new users. This is in contrast to the industry average of 69% for other streaming platforms. The data indicated that 40% of Netflix ad-supported subscribers were “traders,” who moved from an ad-free plan, and 16% were “win backs.” These numbers reflect a different trend compared to other services.

The rise of ad-supported streaming is further highlighted by updates from industry giants during upfronts week in May. Disney reported a total of 164 million monthly active users across its various platforms, including Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+. Netflix exceeded 94 million monthly active users, showing its enduring popularity.

Amazon’s Prime Video boasted an impressive audience of over 130 million in the U.S. alone, with a substantial increase in monthly viewing hours. Combining Prime Video with other entertainment properties like Twitch and MGM Studios, Amazon reaches an average monthly ad-supported audience of over 300 million.

NBCUniversal shared that its network’s portfolio reaches a massive 286 million people each month, with a significant portion being ad-supported. Peacock alone has nearly 100 million monthly active users. Paramount revealed that they reach a total of 115 million ad-supported viewers each month across their streaming footprint.

Looking at the broader landscape, Nielsen reported that ad-supported platforms accounted for 72.4% of TV viewing in the first quarter of 2025, illustrating the significance of this model. Cable and broadcast made up the remaining percentages of ad-supported viewing, with streaming representing a substantial portion.

The data clearly demonstrates the rapid growth and popularity of ad-supported streaming services, painting a promising picture for the future of this industry.