Global SVOD subscriptions will increase by 491 million between 2021 and 2026 to reach 1.64 billion. China and the US will together account for 49% of the global total by 2026, down from 56% in 2021.
What the statistics say
Simon Murray, Principal Analyst at Digital TV Research, said: “China and the US had a similar number of subscriptions by end-2020. Due to government pressure, China’s growth is decelerating, with 354 million subscriptions expected by 2026. The US will continue to grow, with 450 million subscriptions expected by 2026.
The total will surpass 1 billion this year, and follows a peak year for SVOD sign ups in 2020 when 201 million new accounts were activated. This was largely due to the Covid-19 pandemic, along with the influx of high-profile streaming services such as Disney+ and HBO Max in the US.
SVOD services dominate
Three platforms will control nearly half the world’s SVOD subscriptions by 2026. Disney+ will be the biggest winner, overtaking Netflix in 2025. Disney+ will add 140 million subscribers between 2021 and 2026 to bring its total to 284 million. About 121 million of Disney+’ subscribers (43% of its total) in 2026 will be in the 13 Asian countries under the Hotstar brand.
Netflix will add 53 million subscribers to reach 271 million subscribers by 2026; revealing growth even for the most established platform.
Source: Digital TV News and Digital TV Research
Read more about UK SVOD growth in our recent article.
