PORTSMOUTH, NH—A new survey from Hub indicates that younger viewers in particular are becoming more accepting of ad-supported streaming services.

According to the researcher’s semi-annual “TV Advertising: Fact vs. Fiction-Wave 10” study, more viewers than ever are opting to save money by accepting ads, and fewer viewers are saying they cannot tolerate TV ads. These trends are even more pronounced among viewers under age 35.

However, the survey indicated that that tolerance only extends to ad-supported streaming services, where there are shorter and less frequent ad breaks, compared to the traditional heavily commercialized linear TV experience.

“Younger viewers are more likely to say, “I don’t mind watching TV with ads as much as I used to,’” the researcher said.

A better ad experience leads to a greater likelihood to accept ads to save on subscription costs, according to Hub. Over the past four years, as more services like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney+ have introduced ad-supported tiers, the choice to accept ads to reduce cost has risen dramatically.

In December 2025, two-thirds of viewers would “rather save money” than avoid ads, up significantly from 2021.

Over the same four-year period, the number of viewers who “can’t tolerate ads” has gradually declined as well.

Hub says that its survey revealed that economic anxiety among viewers affects how they manage their TV subscriptions. Since Fall 2022, half or more of viewers have expressed they are “very concerned” about the state of the economy, and in this wave, it was 54%. At the same time, nearly half (46%) of viewers think streaming services are raising their prices more often than in the past.

Put those sentiments together, and many people are expecting to reduce spending on TV, particularly, those who are very concerned about the economy are more likely to reassess their spending on TV subscriptions, with two-thirds saying they are planning to cancel or reduce spending, Hub said, adding that not surprisingly, lower income viewers are also more likely to say they will be reducing their spending on TV.

Ad-supported subscription tiers offer an opportunity to retain budget-conscious viewers, Hub said. With so many viewers willing to reduce their spending on TV services, lower cost ad-supported subscriptions can keep many of them from canceling.

Viewers’ awareness of the major streamers’ ad-supported has continued a gradual increase over the past two years, and a majority now know that Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Netflix and Peacock provide lower cost services with ads.

There has also been a corresponding increase over the past year and a half of viewers opting for a strictly ad-supported mix of subscriptions. As of December 2025, one-third avail themselves of ad-supported services only, significantly higher than in June 2025.

Part of that increase in ad-supported-only viewing is driven by tier switching. There has been a significant increase in the past eighteen months in viewers migrating between ad-free and ad-supported service tiers, with a third now saying they have done so.

Younger viewers age 18-34 are more likely to say they don’t mind TV ads as much as in the past, and that leads to a far greater likelihood to switch between ad-supported and ad-free tiers. Nearly half (45%) have done so, a considerable 19 points higher than those age 35+.

Not surprisingly, given the degree of economic uncertainty among viewers, and their desire to reduce spending, tier switching is mainly about saving money. Those sentiments are significantly more prevalent among viewers than they were in June 2024.

Although TV subscription costs are rising, and viewers are looking to cut costs, the ability to manage their array of services allows them to derive significant value from TV, Hub said, with two-thirds of all viewers agreeing that TV subscriptions deliver more “bang for the buck” than other entertainment options. Among those who habitually churn in and out of their subscriptions, the number is even higher (75%).

Viewers 18-34 and those with kids, who are the most likely to switch to lower cost subscriptions, are the most likely to see value in their TV services. Once again, this shows if viewers are comfortable with the price point of a subscription, they value it, Hub said.

U.S. TV viewers have been hit hard by inflation and worries about a potential recession over the past several years, during and post-pandemic. The continued uncertainty brought on in 2025 by new tariff policies and other disruptions still has consumers concerned, Hub said. TV subscriptions are not excluded from viewers’ consideration when they are trying to keep rising household costs in line.

But the strategic decision by many streamers to offer lower priced ad-supported subscriptions has turned out to be a smart hedge against cancellations. Many viewers, especially those who are younger or have kids are finding the ad experience is better than it used to be, and opting for ads to save money is a good deal.

“As we head into 2026, TV viewers continue to worry about the direction the economy is headed,” said Mark Loughney, Senior Consultant at Hub. “But for TV and video streaming providers, the news is better. By giving viewers the choice of accepting ads for cost savings, they are delivering great value compared to other entertainment. Viewers are figuring out for themselves the optimal mix of ad-supported and ad-free services that fit within their budgets. If the streamers continue to provide an ad experience that’s better than traditional TV, they will deliver good value and minimize churn.”

These findings are from Hub’s 2025 “TV Advertising: Fact vs. Fiction” report, based on a survey conducted among 3,000 US consumers age 14-74, who watch at least 1 hour of TV per week. Interviews were conducted in November 2025 and explored consumers’ attitudes toward advertising, how it differs across video platforms, and how ad strategy affects viewer engagement. A free excerpt of the findings is available on Hub’s website. This report is part of the “Hub Reports” syndicated report series.

DALLAS—Ad-supported subscription-based streaming services will increase in popularity over the next four years, reaching 278 million viewers by 2029 according to Parks Associates.

With Nielsen’s estimates of 315 million TV viewers nationwide (representing almost 97% of U.S. households), this means more than 88% of TV viewers will be watching ad-supported SVOD.

The rise in adoption of ad-based services creates a foundation for additional revenues as well as opportunities to engage viewers in new ways through more interactive and personalized experiences, Parks says. Shoppable features and direct transactional opportunities can turn social and video content into a more direct sales channel, blurring the lines between entertainment, content consumption, and e-commerce.

"Industry players can take productive steps today to advance the interactive TV experience for viewers and advertisers by connecting workflows, making effective use of available data, and optimizing user experience elements for interactivity," said Jennifer Kent, Vice President, Research, Parks Associates. "Success involves building sustainable, scalable solutions for the long term rather than quick, band-aid solutions that address only immediate challenges."

A new white paper Interactive & Shoppable TV: Next Wave of CTV Revenues, released in partnership with Adeia, focuses on the service provider opportunity to advance the consumer experience and build on expectations of interactivity and specifically engage in commerce through the TV. It highlights consumer interest, use, and preferences for interactive features across TV and mobile viewing devices and platforms, including shoppable advertisements.

Research highlights include high demand for commerce and advertising in CTV:

• 52% of US internet households are likely or very likely to perform at least one commercial activity through a CTV platform.
• 82% see streaming ads through a combination of free streaming services, ad-based tiers of subscription streaming services, and vMVPD services that feature ads as part of their live/linear bundles of channels.
• 59% subscribe to an ad-based tier of an SVOD service, like Netflix, Disney+, or Peacock.
• 47% watch free ad-based streaming services, like Tubi, Pluto, and The Roku Channel.
• 22% watch streaming pay-TV services, vMVPDs, like YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, or Philo.

NEW YORK—Nielsen has launched The Ad-Supported Gauge, a new quarterly report that provides a comprehensive look at the portion of television that delivers advertising across broadcast, cable and streaming.

Initial data from the service shows that ad-supported offerings still dominate TV viewing and that ad-supported streaming platforms account for a significantly larger share of TV viewing than broadcast or cable.

The good news for broadcasters in the run-up to the 2025 upfronts is that in Q1 of 2025, nearly three-quarters (72.4%) of TV viewing was on ad-supported platforms, compared to 27.6% for ad-free platforms.

But ad-supported streaming platforms account for a significantly larger share of TV viewing, accounting for 42.4% of ad-supported TV viewing. “Traditional TV” (cable and broadcast) is tied at about 29% to account for about 58% of total ad-supported TV.

“Every day, our clients use our data to make informed decisions about their business. As we head into the Upfront, this ad-supported layer to our industry-defining Gauge report provides deeper levels of analysis to help guide advertising strategies,” Nielsen CEO Karthik Rao said.

The new insights are made possible by enhancements to Nielsen Streaming Platform Ratings that leverage the Streaming Meter, which is available to subscribers. The Ad-Supported Gauge provides a quarterly view of the landscape, with the next edition available ahead of the fall TV season.

NEW YORK—There are a multitude of elements that will contribute to the overall TV industry landscape in 2020, but in a recent study Deloitte took a close examination of three in specific: antennas, content delivery networks and ad-supported video services (AVODs).

Deloitte’s full report, “Technology, Media and Telecommunications Predictions 2020,” covers a range of technology topics, but the sections on antennas, CDNs and AVODs delve into the economic impact of these technologies across the globe.

In its in-depth look at antennas, Deloitte examines how the death of antenna services have been greatly exaggerated. Across the world, Deloitte forecasts that 1.6 billion people, representing 450 million households, worldwide will watch some of their TV from an antenna in 2020—and it calls that the low estimate. Deloitte acknowledges that data on antenna use is incomplete, with some countries not providing information, but even so, the number of people watching TV through an antenna around the world will be 50% more than those watching TV over cable, IPTV and direct broadcast satellite combined in 2020, per Deloitte.

“Antenna TV is helping the global TV industry keep on growing even in the face of falling TV viewing minutes and, in some markets, increasing numbers of consumers cutting the pay-TV cord,” the report reads. For example, Deloitte predicts that U.S. pay-TV subscribers will decline by 5 million in 2020, in part mitigated because of the 2020 Summer Olympics and U.S. presidential election.

While other countries are seeing similar results, global TV viewership growth is expected to continue to grow in the next few years. Overall, TV subscriptions are projected to grow 8% between 2018 and 2024, while two-thirds of global pay-TV operators are expected to increase over the same period. Specifically regarding ad revenue in 2020, Deloitte estimates that it will grow by $4 billion, boosted in parts by the use of antennas as well as things like targeted ads.

Antennas are impacting another area of the industry. As the issue of spectrum and the desire to develop 5G and other wireless services continues, the industry must be aware that the spectrum used by antenna is not as available as may have been previously thought.

Content Delivery Networks are another element that is expected to significantly impact the bottom line of the TV industry in 2020. With the popularity of streaming video over the internet, CDNs’ global market is projected to reach $14 billion in 2020, a 25% increase than the estimated $11 billion in 2019. By 2025 that number is expected to more than double to $30 billion.

With the demand for CDNs to ensure high-quality delivery of content, media and telecom companies are developing their own CDNs to have greater control over their content and revenue. Despite this, Deloitte says that CDNs and OTT kicking pay-TV to the curb anytime soon.

“Most media companies will likely run their OTT efforts in parallel with their broadcast and pay-TV services, allowing the market to determine which will draw the most subscribers,” Deloitte wrote.

Another area poised to have a noticeable impact in 2020 and moving forward, according to Deloitte, is ad-supported video platforms, or AVODs. These types of services are currently most popular in Asia, with the region estimated to contribute $15.5 billion of a total $32 billion in revenue across the globe.

Something that may boost that in other regions around the world is the overall rise in streaming services available to consumers, says Deloitte. While new ones continue to launch, consumers are expected to limit the number they subscribe to, with some projections putting the cap at three subscription services. In this case, Deloitte believes that streaming platforms that do not make the cut may develop AVODs so as to generate revenue from their services.

Find out more by reading the full “Technology, Media and Telecommunications Predictions 2020” report.