A new Trend Report from UK-based analytics firm Digital i reveals transformative shifts in global streaming consumption, led by a surge in ad-supported subscriptions and the growing dominance of YouTube across major markets. According to the report, 88% of Amazon Prime Video subscribers in North America, Latin America, APAC, and Europe were on ad-supported plans by the end of Q4 2024, making it the most widely adopted ad-supported premium SVOD service globally.
Disney+ followed with 35% of subscribers on ad-supported tiers, trailed by Netflix at 26% and Max at 22%. Interestingly, global ad-free users were found to consume 1.2 times more content daily than their ad-supported counterparts. Among the top ad-supported titles in Q4 2024, "Squid Game" led across both ad-free and ad-supported tiers, while "Grey’s Anatomy" accounted for 37% of total hours viewed on ad-supported platforms. Prime Video’s Cross, Red One, and The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power also performed strongly, with up to 71% of their viewership coming from ad-supported users.
The report also highlighted Netflix’s expansion into live programming as a new growth frontier. The "NFL’s Christmas Day" matchup and the "Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson" fight both attracted large live audiences, with 94% of NFL game viewership occurring in real-time. For over 700,000 new global Netflix subscribers in Q4 2024, one of these two live events was the first piece of content they streamed, underscoring live sports’ growing role as an audience acquisition tool.
Meanwhile, YouTube has significantly outpaced Netflix in several key territories. From January 2022 to November 2024, long-form content (30 minutes or more) grew from 53% to 68% of total YouTube watch time. However, short-form content continues to dominate engagement, with 90% of all stream starts being short-form videos.
Japan and South Korea emerged as YouTube-stronghold markets, with users averaging over 210 minutes per day on the platform in Q4 2024—more than double the average time spent on Netflix. In the U.S., YouTube users logged 117 daily viewing minutes compared to 97 on Netflix. Conversely, Italy and Spain remain Netflix-dominant, with viewers watching up to 91 minutes of Netflix daily versus less than an hour on YouTube.
The report also delves into demographic trends, particularly among UK-based 18–24-year-olds. This group averaged 108 minutes per day on YouTube versus 98 on Netflix, with a significant 60% of YouTube consumption happening via mobile devices. Among all UK adults, YouTube TV screen usage reached just 15%, reflecting continued generational differences in content consumption platforms.
Digital i’s findings underscore a rapidly evolving digital media landscape where ad-supported models, live event programming, and mobile-first content consumption are becoming essential pillars of streamer strategy. For industry stakeholders, the report signals both opportunity and urgency to recalibrate monetization and engagement approaches to align with shifting viewer habits.
Related News
