At the start of 2020, consumers in the United States subscribed to an average of three paid streaming services, but after months of government-mandated lockdowns, the number has increased to five.
In a recent survey of over 5,000 active online subscribers in the United States and Canada, 81% of respondents wished that paid streaming services like Netflix or Amazon Prime Video offered a free, ad-supported option.
The major studios sabotaged the dream of a la carte programming and are now attempting to transform streaming into cable television via an ethernet connection instead of coaxial.
Several media companies are holding discussions to acquire advertising-supported video streaming services. Fox Corp is in talks with Tubi, and NBCUniversal is considering Vudu.
AVOD is gaining ground on SVOD in the United States. The proportion of television viewership that is through streaming services has almost doubled since 2018.