Julia Stoll
Research expert covering TV and video media
Video streaming in the United Kingdom - statistics & facts
The United Kingdom belongs to the largest video streaming markets worldwide. With about 7.9 billion U.S. dollars, it reached the third highest nationwide video-on-demand (VOD) revenue in 2023, after the United States and China. As linear TV has been decreasing in popularity for several years and more and more on-demand services have entered the market in the past decade, the consumer spending on digital video in the UK has significantly grown, reaching a value of over 4.7 billion British pounds in 2023.
However, ad-supported streaming content is gaining traction in the country, as subscription-based services have become increasingly expensive. While the number of SVOD services per British user has remained at the same level lately, the use of free and ad-supported platforms has been on the rise, peaking at 6.2 services per consumer as of November 2023. Furthermore, after enhancing the popularity of free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) services, such as Pluto TV, Samsung TV Plus, and LG, on a global scale, the amount of FAST channels has also been topped up in the UK.
The UK’s video streaming market is witnessing a transformative shift, with ad-supported streaming catching up on SVOD as the leading segment in the industry. As the digital video landscape continues to evolve, the future of video streaming in the country presents opportunities, but also challenges for both established and emerging players.
The reach of streaming segments is shifting
Like in other developed markets, SVOD is the video type with the highest consumer spending in the UK, with U.S.-based Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney+ being the most popular platforms. Data showed that over 19 million out of an estimated 28.4 million households in the country had access to SVOD services in the beginning of 2024, highlighting the popularity of this video streaming segment.However, ad-supported streaming content is gaining traction in the country, as subscription-based services have become increasingly expensive. While the number of SVOD services per British user has remained at the same level lately, the use of free and ad-supported platforms has been on the rise, peaking at 6.2 services per consumer as of November 2023. Furthermore, after enhancing the popularity of free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) services, such as Pluto TV, Samsung TV Plus, and LG, on a global scale, the amount of FAST channels has also been topped up in the UK.
Local streaming options are increasingly popular
As a result of the ever-growing VOD market and the visible consumer preference for OTT content over linear TV, global players are placing increasing emphasis on local content to differentiate themselves and meet the rising international demand. Netflix’s British portfolio, for example, includes, amongst others, Emmy Award winner “The Crown” and critically acclaimed TV show “Sex Education.” Additionally, among the main BVOD services – U (formerly known as UKTV Play), BBC iPlayer, My5, Channel 4, and ITVX – the majority of content hours was produced in the UK, showing even more that local streaming delivery is more important than ever before.The UK’s video streaming market is witnessing a transformative shift, with ad-supported streaming catching up on SVOD as the leading segment in the industry. As the digital video landscape continues to evolve, the future of video streaming in the country presents opportunities, but also challenges for both established and emerging players.
