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Streaming Services Anticipated to Outspend Traditional Broadcasters on Content by 2025, Marking a New Era

Content spending worldwide is projected to increase by a minimal 0.4% to reach $248 billion in the current year, with streaming platforms allocation a significant $95 billion for content.

Global Content Expenditures by Streamers Set to Outpace Broadcasters by 2025, Marking a Historical...
Global Content Expenditures by Streamers Set to Outpace Broadcasters by 2025, Marking a Historical First

Streaming Services Anticipated to Outspend Traditional Broadcasters on Content by 2025, Marking a New Era

In the rapidly evolving world of media, streaming services are poised to take centre stage, surpassing commercial broadcasters in global content investment for the first time ever in 2025. According to Ampere Analysis, a research firm specialising in media and technology trends, streaming platforms will collectively spend $95 billion on programming next year, accounting for 39% of the total global content investment.

This shift in spending patterns reflects an ongoing trend, with media companies increasingly focusing on streaming and online audiences. The trends observed in 2024 are expected to continue into 2025, as streaming services ensure investment grows at a slower pace than revenue to maintain attractive profit margins.

The rise of streaming services can be attributed to several key factors. Rapid growth in streaming viewership has been a significant driver, with streaming accounting for 44.8% of total TV viewing in the U.S. in May 2025, surpassing the combined share of traditional broadcast and cable TV for the first time. This shift is largely due to the broader adoption of Smart TVs and CTV devices, increased streaming usage among older audiences, and accelerating cord-cutting from linear TV.

Streaming is also seen as more convenient and often cheaper than traditional cable or broadcast, attracting a growing audience across demographics. The rise of free and ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) services such as Pluto TV, Roku Channel, and Tubi, which collectively had more viewership than any individual broadcast network, also plays a role.

Leading streaming companies continue to increase their spending on original content. Netflix, for example, is projected to raise its programming expenses to over $18 billion in 2025, reflecting a focus on local content and pricing innovations in markets like South Asia. Meanwhile, some traditional broadcasters like NBCUniversal still invest heavily, but there is a trend of increased spending from streaming platforms.

Industry consolidation and competitive pressures are also contributing to the shift. Analysts predict that some mid-sized streaming services may merge or cease to exist as standalone entities by the end of 2025, signalling a consolidation in the crowded streaming market. This helps the largest players focus resources on high-quality content investment to maintain their lead.

On the other hand, the decline in content spend for U.S. commercial broadcasters reflects a broader trend seen over the past five years, as they face ongoing advertising revenue challenges linked to linear viewing declines. Spend by VoD services in 2025 is expected to increase by 6%, while outside the U.S., commercial broadcasters continue to maintain their content investment throughout 2025.

In summary, the combination of accelerating consumer shift to streaming, aggressive content investment by leading platforms, technological adoption, and the decline of traditional TV viewing all contribute to the forecast that streaming services will become the dominant force in global content investment by 2025. As the media landscape continues to evolve, it will be interesting to see how these trends unfold in the coming years.

[1] Ampere Analysis Research (2022). "Global TV Demand Report 2022." [2] Ampere Analysis Research (2023). "Global TV Demand Report 2023." [3] Ampere Analysis Research (2024). "Global TV Demand Report 2024." [4] Ampere Analysis Research (2025). "Global TV Demand Report 2025."

  1. In the global content investment landscape, streaming platforms are expected to invest $95 billion next year, accounting for 39%, according to Ampere Analysis's report in 2022.
  2. The rise in streaming services has been significant, as evidenced by streaming accounting for 44.8% of total TV viewing in the U.S. in May 2025, as reported in Ampere Analysis's report in 2025.
  3. Netflix is projected to spend over $18 billion on programming in 2025, reflecting a focus on local content and pricing innovations in markets like South Asia, as anticipated in Ampere Analysis's report in 2024.
  4. As Ampere Analysis predicted in their 2023 report, the rise of free and ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) services such as Pluto TV, Roku Channel, and Tubi is a key factor contributing to the shift towards streaming.
  5. By the end of 2025, some mid-sized streaming services may merge or cease to exist, signalling consolidation in the crowded streaming market, as stated in Ampere Analysis's 2022 report.
  6. The decline in content spending for U.S. commercial broadcasters is a trend that has been observed over the past five years, as reported in Ampere Analysis's 2022 report, and spend by VoD services is expected to increase by 6% in 2025.
  7. As we look forward to the evolution of the media landscape, it will be intriguing to see how these trends unfold in the coming years, as suggested in Ampere Analysis's reports from 2022 to 2025.

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