What’s driving streaming growth in the current market?
What’s driving streaming growth in the current market?
New data from Kantar shows that franchises and sports content are helping the most successful streamers grow.
The streaming world is building toward its next evolution. Streamers have already moved past the days when ad-free tiers and subscriber acquisition were all the rage; now, it’s about keeping customers engaged and building profitable businesses. Streamers do still have to grow to survive, however, and new data from Kantar shows which services are having the most success at doing so thus far in 2025, as well as how they are doing it.
Key Details:
- Less volatility:New service acquisitions fell in the first quarter, but at a lower rate than in 2024.
- Go west, young man:Paramount+ drew the most new U.S. acquisitions in the quarter, driven by shows in the “Yellowstone” franchise.
- Sports are key:Both at home and abroad, sports are a key driver of acquisition and retention.
Kantar’s data shows that seasonal dips in new streaming sign-ups could be stabilizing. New service acquisitions in the United States fell by 11% between the first quarter of 2024 and Q1 2025, but that was lower than the 17% drop between Q1 2023 and Q1 2024. This leveling out could indicate that consumers are becoming more invested in streamers that they have, leading to less churn and, therefore, less need to sign up for more services.
In the U.S., Paramount+ was the streamer that won the most new acquisitions during the quarter. Almost 50% of its new subscribers were brought to the service through “Yellowstone“-related shows like “1883” and “1923,” as well as other Western dramas like “Landman,” which also was created by “Yellowstone” auteur Taylor Sheradon. The data once again shows how important Sheridan is to the growth and stability of Paramount+.
Netflix captured the most new paying subscribers globally, and was second to Paramount+ in that category in the U.S. in the first quarter. Specific content offerings exclusive to Netflix were again a key driver of acquisition, as “Squid Game” was the most popular title on the streamer in the quarter. “WWE Raw” was a particularly big draw domestically, pointing to a trend observed by Kantar of streamers gaining new customers because of sports-related programming.
This trend was also seen at Tubi, where one in 20 new viewers came to the service thanks to NFL and motorsports content. Internationally, the sports streamer DAZN had one of its best quarters ever, seeing an 11% rise in global subscribers as it added new features to make its app a more personalized experience, especially for soccer fans.
Bundling is making it easier for viewers to remain loyal to streaming platforms. Kantar’s numbers show that bundled subscriptions now make up 26% of the video-on-demand (VOD) service market, up from 20% in 2023. Forty-one percent of customers who receive a bundle through a streamer report being happy with the value they receive.
The data from Kantar shows that both at home and abroad, viewers are choosing new streamers based on original content as well as the availability of sports programming. Viewers are shifting their habits to fit the evolution of the streaming marketplace, and streamers must keep paying attention to audience trends if they want to stay relevant.
Paramount Plus
Paramount+ is a subscription video streaming service that includes on-demand access to 40,000+ TV show episodes from BET, CBS, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr., and more. Get free access with a Walmart+ subscription.
Paramount+ includes “1883,” “Tulsa King,” “Star Trek: Discovery,” “SpongeBob SquarePants,” and “PAW Patrol.” Subscribers can watch the NFL, college football, The Masters, college basketball, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, Serie A, and NWSL. The service also offers the option to watch your live CBS affiliate. The upgraded ad-free package includes premium movies and shows from Showtime.