The UK streaming market is undergoing a significant shift, with ad-supported services rapidly gaining traction. According to new Worldpanel by Numerator data, ad-free alternatives are predicted to be overtaken by ad-supported options by Q2 2026.
Between April and June 2025, Disney+ achieved its highest share of new paying subscribers in over two years, capturing 22% of the market. This growth coincides with a broader trend: 37% of new subscriptions in Q2 2025 were paid-for VoD services with ads, a significant jump from 26% the previous year. Ad tier penetration now reaches 41%, a 4% increase from Q1 2025.
Dominic Sunnebo, Commercial Director at Worldpanel by Numerator, notes: “The rise of ad supported streaming tiers reflects a broader shift in consumer behaviour as people become more willing to pay for ads that match compelling, unmissable streaming content. In many ways, it’s a full circle moment where the likes of Netflix, Disney+ and more are creeping closer to traditional broadcast TV.”
Amazon Prime Video leads the pack, with 83% of its subscribers (almost 8 million households) using the ad-supported tier. This is largely due to Amazon's conversion of its entire subscriber base to the ad-supported model, unlike other services that introduced lower-cost tiers. Overall, paid video streaming subscriptions in Britain reached 19.9 million households in Q2 2025, a 400,000 increase year-on-year.
Paramount+ also experienced substantial growth (11% share of new paid subscriptions) fueled by its new ad-supported tier. However, subscriber satisfaction varies. Netflix leads in ad experience, while Disney+ excels in ad relevance. Paramount+, despite its growth, sees only 18% of its subscribers satisfied with the ad frequency and placement, highlighting a crucial area for improvement.