Does economic uncertainty spell doom for streamers?
Does economic uncertainty spell doom for streamers?
New data from Hub Research shows that viewers are feeling decidedly iffy about the economy, but streamers rate highly as value propositions.
Are hard times ahead for the United States? Many economists seem to think so, thanks in no small part to uncertainty generated by tariff messaging from the federal government. That economic turmoil is already having an impact on consumers, as many across the country arey feeling apprehensive about their financial footing looking ahead. According to a new survey from Hub Research, this economic uncertainty could have a significant impact on future streaming subscriptions.
Key Details:
- Election consequences: Fears about the state of the economy have been growing since November 2024.
- Streaming pinch: Viewers say that streamers are raising prices more, and the specter of cancellation looms.
- Silver lining: Over half of respondents said they would consider spending less on other entertainment to spend more on TV.
According to Hub, fears about the state of the global economy have been growing steadily since the U.S. presidential election. Worries about the rising rate of inflation, the possibility of a recession, and the state of the economy in general have all increased between November 2024 and May 2025.
Click chart to enlarge.
As usual, fears about the economy could lead some consumers to cut back on their discretionary spending when it comes to entertainment. There are some worrying statistics for streamers in this regard in Hub’s latest batch of data; 88% of respondents either somewhat or strongly agreed with the statement that streaming services are raising prices more than they did in the past. Sixty-three percent say that they are more open to ad tiers, and 61% say that they’ll consider reducing the number of TV subscriptions they have as a result.
The news isn’t all bad for streaming services, however. More than half of respondents (54%) either somewhat or strongly agreed with the statement that they’d be willing to spend more on TV subscriptions if it meant reducing spending on other entertainment sources.
Perhaps even better, streaming is still perceived as a good value. Seventy-nine percent of respondents said that TV or movie streaming subscriptions were an ok or great value, whereas just 11% said they considered streaming to be a poor value.
Click chart to enlarge.
The willingness to accept ads while watching content is rising among viewers, who see ad-supported streaming as an increasingly acceptable alternative to canceling streaming subscriptions, thanks to rising prices. The number of viewers who say they would never accept ads has dropped six percentage points since 2021, and the number who say that ads don’t really matter, if the content is good enough, has jumped 12 points.
Click chart to enlarge.
The number of customers who say that they would accept ads if it meant saving $4 to $5 per month has also risen markedly. In June 2025, that number stood at 38%, whereas in June 2022 it accounted for just 27% of consumers. The free streaming platform YouTube has also become a key part of the equation for audiences; 87% of respondents use it in some capacity, with the vast majority (67%) utilizing the ad-supported version of the service.
“Consumers are still feeling aftershocks from the economic disruption of the pandemic, and that anxiety isn’t going away. If anything, recent economic news has made many of them more skittish,” Hub senior consultant Mark Loughney said. “Over the past three years though we’ve seen viewers saying TV is better than ever, providing a great deal of value for the cost. So, the positive news for streamers is that even if consumers continue to worry about the economy, video subscriptions will be among the last places they look for savings. If the streaming services are judicious with price increases, they can hold on to subscribers through uncertain economic times.”