SVOD market entering a ‘more disciplined phase’ – report

Futuresource’s latest SVOD Market Outlook report reveals a market that continues to expand, but one where subscriber gains are becoming more incremental, with key territories seeing growth rates slowing into the low single digits.

As a result, platforms are increasingly turning to distribution partnerships to drive further subscriber acquisition while placing greater emphasis on audience retention.

Tactics include lowering entry points by introducing ad-supported tiers and bundled offers, while simultaneously increasing prices and further structuring their offerings. This is helping balance accessibility with revenue generation, according to Futuresource.

Content remains the primary driver of engagement, but the report highlights a shift towards more targeted content investment, with platforms focusing on programming that supports retention and repeat viewing, rather than simply expanding volume.

Increasingly, streamers are focusing on franchise-led content strategies and selective investment in premium rights, including sport.

The SVOD market is becoming less uniform, the report found. Global platforms continue to operate at scale. However, regional and niche services are staying relevant through localisation and focused audience targeting. Partnerships and aggregation are also reshaping how services are accessed, packaged, and consumed.

“Streaming has always been a market where consumers hold substantial power,” said Anastasia Budash, Lead Market Analyst at Futuresource Consulting. “What’s different now is that markets are approaching saturation. As platforms compete harder for attention, further growth requires strong market differentiation and nuanced retention strategies.”