As U.S. consumers navigate post-pandemic economic uncertainty, streaming video continues to stand out as the most cost-effective entertainment choice, according to Hub’s latest “TV Advertising: Fact vs. Fiction” report. Based on a survey of 3,000 U.S. consumers aged 14-74 conducted in May 2025, the study highlights both the resilience of streaming subscriptions and the mounting pressure on providers to manage price increases judiciously.
The research found a significant uptick since November 2024 in consumers “very concerned” about the economy, inflation, and the risk of a recession, with nearly 90% perceiving subscription price hikes as more frequent than before. Despite this sentiment, streaming remains a favored option: more than half of viewers indicated they would rather increase their spending on video subscriptions than cut back on them, if it allowed them to reduce other leisure expenses like theme parks, concerts, or dining out.
Hub also notes that streaming is one of the last entertainment categories consumers consider trimming when budgeting, second only to vacations in perceived value. This resilience reflects viewers’ view of streaming as delivering more value than nearly any other form of entertainment. Nevertheless, providers risk alienating customers if price increases outpace perceived value. Mark Loughney, Senior Consultant at Hub, warned: “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. 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.”
The report also details evolving attitudes toward advertising. Over the past four years, the proportion of viewers who say they cannot tolerate ads in TV content has declined from 17% to 11%, with even ad-averse consumers now favoring lower-cost ad-supported options in exchange for saving $4-5 per month. This trend underscores the growing acceptance of AVOD models in a price-sensitive environment.
Another key finding concerns the rising role of aggregators like Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Roku, and YouTube in managing subscriptions. Half of all respondents use aggregators to organize their streaming services, with adoption rising to 60% among 18-34 year-olds. Those who use aggregators tend to subscribe to more services—nearly six in ten report having six or more subscriptions—compared to 43% of non-aggregator users who have three or fewer.
Finally, YouTube has cemented its position as a central part of the TV ecosystem. Nearly 90% of viewers engage with YouTube in some form, and half of these consumers regularly watch its content on television screens. Viewers consistently rate YouTube’s free, ad-supported offering as delivering superior value compared to paid AVOD, SVOD, and even traditional broadcast TV.
As streaming platforms face a delicate balancing act between price, content quality, and advertising tolerance, Hub’s findings reaffirm the category’s strong footing in the entertainment landscape. Providers that remain sensitive to consumer sentiment while innovating around perceived value and flexibility stand to sustain their subscriber base despite broader economic volatility.