For the first time, 2025 will see streamers outpace commercial broadcaster in global content spend, according to a new report.
New figures released by Ampere Analysis predict global content spend will reach $248 billion this year, a 0.4% year-on-year increase (following a 2% increase in 2014 driven by ad spend on the U.S. election, Summer Olympics and the resolution of 2023’s Hollywood strikes).
Of that figure, Ampere claims that streaming services will spending $95 billion on content this year, a 39% share, while commercial broadcasters will comprise 37%. The rest of the spend will be made up by public broadcasters (9%), theatrical studios (8%) and pay-TV (7%).
According to Ampere, U.S. commercial broadcaster, after a year of one-off events, are pulling back their investment in content, a decline that reflects a broader trend seen over the past five years as they face ongoing advertising revenue challenges linked to linear viewing declines. That said, outside the US, commercial broadcasters continue to demonstrate resilience, maintaining their content investment throughout 2025.
“Spend in 2024 was in line with Ampere’s expectations. The recovery aided by the US election, the Summer Olympics, and the end of the Hollywood strikes met the limitations of macroeconomic challenges and ongoing focus on profitability from major streamers,” said Peter Ingram, Research Manager at Ampere Analysis.
“In 2025, expenditure by VoD services will increase by 6%, making these companies the leading contributors to the content landscape, surpassing commercial broadcasters for the first time. The continued growth of VoD spend, combined with the more cautious outlook of linear broadcasters, highlights the shifting role of traditional television as viewer demand turns to digital platforms and streaming.”
