Ad-Supported Tiers Now Own 28% of Streaming Revenue

Platforms aren’t chasing subscriber counts anymore, instead they’re focused on getting more value out of the audiences they already have. According to new research, ad-supported tiers made up 28% of global streaming subscription revenues in 2025, a 460% increase from 2020. Total global streaming revenues hit $177 billion last year, with $20 billion coming from advertising alone. 

The results from that shift in priorities speak for themselves. Netflix, once the poster child for ad-free streaming, more than doubled its ad revenues last year after launching its ad-supported tier just three years ago. With subscription revenues forecast to surpass $200 billion by 2030, hybrid models combining paid and ad-supported tiers are quickly becoming the industry standard. For advertisers, this represents a rare moment of alignment: inventory is expanding just as audience demand for affordable streaming is rising.

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