New Samba TV Report Finds 60% of All TV Time Happens on Streaming

Ad-Supported Viewing, Live Sports, and Audience Fragmentation Reshape the Rules of Engagement for Platforms and Advertisers

SAN FRANCISCO - October 30, 2025 - Samba TV, the global leader in AI-driven media intelligence, today released its 2025 U.S. State of Streaming report that reveals a major turning point in American viewing habits as streaming now accounts for 60% of all TV time, surpassing linear TV as the nation's primary way to watch. Viewer preference for streaming continues to rise month-over-month, driven by shifting expectations around on-demand access and the rise of ad-supported viewing models.

Samba TV's analysis reveals that streaming hasn't just surpassed linear, but has redefined TV viewing altogether. With total streaming TV time rising by 46% year-over-year, audiences now prioritize on-demand access, cultural relevance, and genre-driven content. When shows are available on both streaming and linear, viewers overwhelmingly choose streaming, with 67% of viewership for shows available on both linear and streaming happening on streaming.

"The rules of television are being rewritten now that streaming has become the substantial majority of viewership," said Samba TV CEO and Co-founder Ashwin Navin. "Streaming time now accounts for 60% of all TV time, showing that viewers have made a clear choice on their viewership preferences. They gather around stories that matter to them, wherever and whenever they choose to watch. As live sports, films, and cultural moments have moved to streaming, publishers and advertisers have a critical opportunity to reach audiences with precision and purpose. The next era belongs to those who harness data, context, and AI-driven intelligence to understand not just who is watching but why, and to act on it in the moment."

The report, powered by Samba TV's proprietary first-party data from more than 400 billion TV signals per month, uncovers new realities for platforms, content creators, and advertisers:

• Streaming is the New Appointment Viewing: Viewership data reveals that even when top shows are available on both linear and streaming platforms, audiences overwhelmingly choose streaming, accounting for 67% of total viewership on average. For major 2025 originals like Alien: Earth, White Lotus, and The Last of Us, that number exceeds 90%. Despite the buzz around day-of-release broadcasts, today's viewers favor on-demand access that fits their schedules. Appointment viewing hasn't disappeared; it's simply migrated to streaming, driven by cultural moments rather than time slots.
• Ad-Supported Streaming Surges Past the Tipping Point: Over half of SVOD subscribers across leading platforms now choose ad-supported plans. Prime Video leads with ad plan adoption rates of up to 78%, followed by Hulu at 62%. This shift has enabled the average U.S. household to afford and manage 3.2 streaming subscriptions on average, thereby creating powerful, premium environments for advertisers across a portfolio of services.
• Live Sports is the Next Battleground: Streaming platforms are rapidly claiming live sports as the final frontier. Events like Thursday Night Football on Prime Video, WWE Raw on Netflix, and now F1 on Apple TV are not only drawing huge audiences but also bringing digital-level targeting to massive live events.
• Platform Strategy, Not Volume, is Defining Who Wins: Netflix accounts for 51% of top streaming originals by volume, while Apple TV and HBO Max are leaders in prestige content and Emmy wins. Disney+ wins among diverse households, particularly Hispanic audiences, by offering franchise IP and meaningful on-screen representation.
• Biggest TV Moments Reinforce the Power of IP: Three of the top five 2025 streaming movies, including Happy Gilmore 2, and Den of Thieves 2: Pantera, originated from established franchises. Yet, KPop Demon Hunters, an original IP, broke into the top five through passionate community activation and rewatch momentum, demonstrating that originality can still succeed when it taps into cultural relevance.
• Owning Film Rights Pays Off as Streaming Releases Beat VOD by 8x: Movies released on streaming are rewriting the rules of audience reach. Once top films moved from VOD to streaming, they delivered an average 8x more household viewership. Kraven: The Hunter on Netflix saw viewership surge by 947%, while Disney+'s Moana 2 drew 651% more viewers than its VOD debut. These numbers highlight the strategic power of film rights: not only do they dramatically extend content reach, they strengthen platform catalogs, fueling subscriptions and retention while giving advertisers access to highly engaged audiences.

To access the full report, visit: https://sam.ba/25USSoStrm_PR

About Samba TV

Samba TV is a global leader in AI-driven media intelligence powered by first-party data from millions of opted-in connected televisions and billions of web signals across more than 50 countries. Its independent, cross-platform measurement provides advertisers and media companies with a unified view of the entire consumer journey. Leveraging real-time insights and audience optimization, Samba TV enables marketers to reach and engage audiences with efficiency and effectiveness across any platform and every screen. Find out more at https://www.samba.com/business.