Over 55% of new streaming subscriptions in 2024 were ad plans
Over 55% of new streaming subscriptions in 2024 were ad plans
Data from Antenna shows that consumers are increasingly comfortable with ad-supported streaming plans.
If there’s one thing that virtually all streaming audiences can agree on, its that the introduction of ads to on-demand services has taken quite a bit of the luster off of streaming in general. The carefree days of cheap, ad-free streaming plans are long gone as streaming responds to the need to prove its business model is viable, but how are customers responding with their wallets? Antenna took a look at that question in their State of Subscriptions 2024 survey.
Key Details:
- Ad-supported subscriptions now account for 45% of all streaming subscriptions overall.
- 57% of gross streaming additions in 2024 were for ad-supported plans.
- Apple TV+ is the only major streamer in the United States that doesn’t have an ad plan.
According to Antenna’s research, ad-supported plans now account for 45% of all streaming subscriptions in the United States as of the end of 2024. That number took an especially big leap over the course of the year, jumping nine percentage points from 2023, as compared to an increase of five points from 2022 to 2023.
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The survey from Antenna also shows that more than half of all new streaming subscriptions in 2024 were for ad-supported plans. Fifty-seven percent of gross streaming additions last year were on ad tiers, a jump of 12% from the previous year, and 18% as compared to 2022, when just 39% of all new streaming subscriptions were for ad plans.
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Antenna’s numbers go to show that audiences, despite a justifiable annoyance at the introduction of ads to a space that for years prided itself on being ad-free, are more willing than ever to watch a streaming service with commercials. The spiraling price of streaming likely has much to do with this; ad-free streaming plans have risen in price by $3 per month on average, and rather than cancel subscriptions, many viewers are opting to go for cheaper, ad-free plans.
Streamers have accommodated this shift by ensuring customers have an ad plan to migrate to. Every top streaming service in the United States now has an ad plan with the exception of Apple TV+, and speculation that it too could introduce an ad plan has been percolating for years. Ad-supported streaming plans are clearly here to stay, the consternation of consumers notwithstanding.
Apple TV
Apple TV (formerly known as Apple TV+) is a subscription video streaming service for $14.99 per month, offering a growing slate of original series, films, documentaries, and specials. Unlike other platforms that combine licensed titles with originals, Apple TV is built entirely around exclusive programming, making it the home of critically acclaimed hits such as “Ted Lasso,” “Severance,” “The Morning Show,” and “Silo.” Its lineup continues to expand with award-winning dramas, comedies, family-friendly shows, and blockbuster original films like “CODA,” which won the Academy Award for Best Picture.