Roundup: Streaming Industry Predictions for 2025
As 2024 draws to a close, ’tis the season for many things—not least among them, in the streaming industry as in most other places, year-end recaps, and even better, predictions for the coming year. In just the last week we’ve published a survey—Current Trends in Ultra-Low Latency Interactive Live Streaming—that provides a fascinating snapshot of where the burgeoning live side of streaming stands and more importantly where it’s going (since interactive live streaming is no more a stand-still proposition than a lean-back one). We’ve also published some one-off glimpses at what’s just around the bend for the streaming world from the likes of Roku SVP of Streaming Services Partnerships Tedd Cittadine and a long-range forecast from Ampere Analysis on global streaming growth over the next 5 years.
In the last few weeks, my own editorial inbox has filled to bursting with unsolicited but much-welcomed season’s greetings from a disparate array of industry experts and thought leaders ringing in “End-of-Year Prediction Season” with all manner of prognostications about what’s to come in 2025.
Here’s a quick roundup of the most intriguing, thoughtful, and surprising ones, organised into some rough categories. There’s much food for thought here, but no prediction’s inclusion should be read as an endorsement. We can reasonably expect some to come partly or mostly or entirely true, while others might leave us scratching our heads in December 2025 when we realise how far they missed the mark. And if some of these predictions haven’t come true a year from now, maybe they were just a little too far-seeing, and these forecasts will look better in 2026.
Thanks to one and all for their insight, and for sticking their necks out with these predictions—especially the boldest and bravest of the bunch. And without further ado, let the professional prognosticating begin.
AI Here, There, and Everywhere
From AI-After to AI-First: “In 2025, I predict media and entertainment companies will shift to an ‘AI-first’ approach rather than “AI-after.” This will enable companies to fully harness AI’s potential and drive innovation, efficiency, and growth across their businesses. One area where I see this strategy shift making the biggest impact is with multimodal AI models. Harnessing the power of multimodal AI will enable content creators to optimise production workflows and even edit videos by leveraging their own voice in a conversational interface! It will also break down accessibility barriers by giving businesses the opportunity to seamlessly caption, translate, and dub content to create audio descriptions. We will have the power to make content universally available and globally monetizable. With this and more, 2025 looks to be a year of true transformation for the industry.”—Albert Lai, Global Director, Media & Entertainment, Google Cloud
Context Is Everything: “The topic of AI was everywhere in 2024 and that will continue in 2025. The impact of AI will be felt first in content production and there will be a lot of conversation about how it will improve advertising, from contextual targeting based on better mapping of content genres, moods, and so on, to generative AI creating more personalised ad creatives. It will also create efficiencies on the adtech side as it has the potential to help process huge amounts of data, especially in programmatic, and make better decisions.”—Tim Sewell, CEO, Yospace
GenAI Adoption: We’re seeing a shift from "Software as a Service" to "Service as a Software." Essentially, the platform is doing the heavy lifting for you. You won’t need to become an expert in the software anymore. Instead, you’ll just license the service and tell it what you need. This makes everything more efficient. You won’t have to waste time on training or certifications anymore. Right now, a lot of time is spent getting people trained on software, especially in areas like advertising and tech. And when people leave or churn, that training has to start all over again. With this shift, that’s going to change.--Oz Etzioni, CEO, Clinch
AI Innovation Will Revolutionise Media Processes Creating Competition Across Businesses Regardless of Size: :"AI innovation will level the playing field, fostering a more inclusive and competitive advertising landscape empowering both small businesses and big brands. Small businesses will gain unprecedented access to audiences, while big brands will combine scale with creativity to stay ahead. As a result, the media industry will see a surge in diverse, high-quality advertising that captivates audiences across platforms."- Rohan Castellino, CMO, IRIS.TV
AI Creating More Opportunities for Better Ad Engagement: "In 2025, we’ll see a growing focus on AI-driven dual optimization, where ads are presented in ways that both achieve successful outcomes and keep viewers engaged, creating more ad opportunities. AI has already made significant progress in aligning ads with relevant content but the next wave of innovation is optimizing ad placement on both context and user engagement. Eye tracking research has shown that users watching relevant ads, watch 4x more ads and stay engaged with the content longer. By leveraging these insights, and analyzing them at scale of hundreds of billions of ad requests, AI can offer advertisers with more precise insights that enhance viewing experiences and drive business outcomes."--Thomas Sullivan, Chief Data Scientist, IRIS.TV
A Gradual Game-Changer: “New innovations – especially Generative AI and Vertical AI – will transform the way we do business for years to come. But predictions that ChatGPT will be the death of Google or human writing (ahem!) are just as premature as those that have predicted Linear TV’s or Nielsen’s or the vinyl record’s demise for years. As with any game-changing technology, there’s often a rush to claim that its transformative impacts will happen all at once, rather than in phases over time.”—Kevin Krim, CEO, EDO
Collision Course: 2025 will be the year when privacy, contextual targeting, and AI intersect. With heightened regulatory pressures and consumer awareness around privacy, the traditional models of building audiences based on persistent identifiers will have to be re-engineered. The good news is that advances in AI and technology can now leverage first-party data and PII-agnostic non-deterministic algorithms for effective audience building and targeting, aligning with the evolving privacy standards and consumer expectations yet delivering on the promise of superior outcomes for brands. We predict that this next wave of contextual targeting—Contextual 2.0—powered by advanced, privacy-friendly technologies, will gain broader adoption in the coming year.—Vikrant Mathur, Co-Founder, Future Today
Deep Fakes Depth Chart: “2025 will see increasing demand for tools and techniques that help detect AI-amended and enhanced content, such as deep fakes. We expect this to result in demands for legislation to regulate the use of AI in content manipulation, and we are optimistic that we will quickly see developments to complement human efforts. In the meantime, content owners will start figuring out their level of tolerance for any manipulation before taking action. While they might turn a blind eye to memes, their red line could be a change to key scenes or even more serious content manipulation.”—Chris White, Chief Architect, Friend MTS
AI and Existing Adtech: “A word of caution on AI, though. The quickest way to better monetization for media owners is to improve the performance of their current adtech setups, ensuring they’re getting maximum value from their inventory. They need to maximise fill-rates and do so at scale if they are to thrive in the streaming age.”—Tim Sewell, CEO, Yospace
AI, Piracy, and the Human Factor: “AI is no silver bullet for fighting piracy today. Instead, we need a holistic approach to combat the use of AI by pirates while emphasizing the importance of human oversight in AI decision-making. Over the next few years, we will see AI being used increasingly to automate many of the anti-piracy processes to bolster efficiency and effectiveness. While it will become better at detecting stolen content, it will continue to need to involve and hand over to human investigators to pursue further. Those humans will also continue to use their judgement and interpretation of in-depth data, assisted by AI, before taking further action.”—Chris White, Chief Architect, Friend MTS
Adtech, Ad Talk, Ad Takes
OTT Monetization Maturing: “With ad-based streaming an increasingly important element of many media owners’ businesses, we’ll see a real desire to eke out the maximum value of ad inventory. That means a closer focus on dynamic ad insertion and how it engages with the adtech ecosystem to maximise ad revenues.”—Tim Sewell, CEO, Yospace
Get With the Programmatic: “By 2025, programmatic advertising is set to become the dominant method for buying ads on Connected TV (CTV), revolutionizing how advertisers reach and engage audiences. Programmatic’s ability to deliver real-time, data-driven targeting and continuous campaign optimization is transforming the TV ad landscape, offering unprecedented precision and efficiency. As the adoption of programmatic grows, more integrated solutions are expected to streamline the ad buying process, enhancing both the speed and effectiveness of campaigns. This shift is empowering advertisers to better align their media spend with performance, driving better results in an increasingly competitive space. However, there will be more pressure on CTV to improve attribution capabilities, particularly if more DTC and SMBs are to come on board.”—Mike Seiman, CEO & Founder at Digital Remedy
Performance CTV will Further Prove its Lower-Funnel Chops: "CTV has proven itself as a brand-building medium, and in 2025, it will prove itself as an effective conversion platform as well. For performance marketers accustomed to search and social video, CTV’s 55-inch canvas may seem unwieldy. In 2025 however, new norms, benchmarks, and a robust targeting framework will make CTV a true “holy grail” for performance. Education on redefining performance will be crucial for both upper funnel, where performance can be injected into brand campaigns, and lower funnel, where outcomes are focused on commerce and conversion. In addition to strides in measurement, advertisers will seek out partnerships that test CTV’s ability to drive conversion and accurately attribute off-screen conversions. As AI and machine learning evolve, they’re sharpening data application, and streamlining CTV’s pathway to becoming a fully efficient, performance-driven platform. Expect more brands to use interactive and engaging ads to deliver conversion, particularly as brands leverage first-party data to execute omnichannel strategies."
– Michael Scott, Vice President, Head of Ad Sales & Operations, Samsung Ads
Enhanced Contextual Advertising to Better Align with Consumer Mindsets: "As we look toward 2025, the industry needs to prioritise targeting consumer mindset within the CTV landscape. Identity and historical behavioral data have served desktop and mobile advertising well, but CTV has unique challenges that require different approaches to improve reach, efficiency, and effectiveness. Fragmentation has limited the ability to scale campaigns across the wide landscape of streaming services. And while we may be able to reach the right household, we don’t know who’s watching. AI solutions analyze video frame-by-frame to create segments for contextual relevance, emotional resonance, and brand suitability. Targeting content signals allows advertisers to increase the likelihood of reaching the right consumer while forging more profound, meaningful connections with audiences and respecting their privacy. When it comes to CTV advertising, the evidence continues to mount that being in the right mood to see an ad is more important than being in-market for a product. By focusing on targeting mindset, we are setting the foundation for a more dynamic, respectful, and effective future in CTV advertising for next year and beyond."- Rohan Castellino, CMO, IRIS.TV
A Programmatic Tipping Point: “We’ve been saying for years that programmatic TV will only reach its true potential once marketers integrate outcomes into their measurement stacks — much like we saw in the boom in social advertising. Increasingly, leading programmatic innovators are adding TV outcomes measurement and pre-bid optimization, and marketers are taking advantage of them. Media companies are warming to unlocking their most premium inventory for programmatic buying, especially as cost pressures motivate them to extract top dollar from every impression. In 2025, we believe our industry will reach a tipping point. Sellers will offer even more of their top inventory for programmatic buying, and advertisers will become more sophisticated and creative in using programmatic to maximise their results.”—Kevin Krim, CEO, EDO
The Value of Creative Intelligence (Creative Data): When it comes down to it, understanding what consumers really want boils down to seeing what they engage with — and what they don't. The creative ad server is the only part of the process that really gives us the why behind a campaign’s success. Creative data is going to become the main driver for revenue and services in the advertising world, especially with Retail Media Networks. It’s all about understanding consumer behavior and what truly resonates.--Oz Etzioni, CEO, Clinch
SGAI Arising: “2025 will see the industry scale new heights in viewer experience. We will also hear more industry conversation about server-guided ad insertion (SGAI), which is part of an industry-wide effort to standardise the ad insertion process and will create added efficiencies for monetising features such as longer DVR windows. As broader player support comes online, I expect SGAI to drive AVOD deployments as media owners take advantage of the faster loading times that SGAI offers, alongside other benefits of server-side ad stitching technology compared to client-side based deployments.”—Tim Sewell, CEO, Yospace
Scene-Level Contextual Targeting Will Revolutionise Brand Safety in 2025: "Scene-level contextual targeting is set to redefine brand safety and suitability in advertising, unlocking new opportunities for precise and relevant placements. Traditionally, categories like news were often excluded due to brand safety concerns. Now, advertisers can target specific scenes, accessing previously restricted inventory while maintaining safety standards. For example, instead of limiting ads to a genre such as cooking, a brand can place ads near scenes of meal preparation across various programming, expanding the reach while staying relevant. By breaking down content into micro-moments, brands can confidently scale campaigns without compromising on safety or suitability, achieving a new standard for secure, contextually relevant advertising.--Rohan Castellino, CMO, IRIS.TV
Advertisers Take the Driver’s Seat with Interactivity: "As TV viewing is now a multiscreen experience, interactive components will become integral to every ad break, creating seamless opportunities for advertisers to connect with viewers on both TV and mobile simultaneously. Consumers are more leaned in than ever, with 30% now regularly using their phones to scan QR codes when watching a TV show or commercial. Features like QR code overlays and gamified experiences will continue to gain traction among advertisers in order to drive deeper engagement and create a more immersive, cross-platform ad journey. This will not only capture viewer attention but allow brands to interact with consumers in real-time to bridge the gap between passive viewing and active engagement, increasing brand consideration and loyalty."–Cathy Oh, Chief Marketing Officer, TV & Mobile Service Business, Samsung Electronics and Samsung Ads
The Elephant in the Room: “A second Trump administration could significantly reshape the digital advertising landscape, with relaxed regulations benefiting big tech and digital ad platforms. Key changes could include a rollback of privacy laws and revocation of Section 230 restrictions, reducing compliance costs and expanding targeting capabilities. Corporate tax cuts would also free up more capital for businesses, boosting ad budgets in sectors such as e-commerce, tech, and retail, fueling growth in digital advertising. Tariffs could also raise prices on cars and other imports, throwing off consumer spending habits. Additionally, fewer regulatory hurdles might spur further investment in AI and automation, driving innovation in programmatic advertising and improving campaign efficiency. However, the backtracking on privacy protections could create a more fragmented regulatory environment (numerous state laws remain in effect), eroding consumer trust in digital platforms and ultimately forcing advertisers to reconsider their strategies and shift budgets away from certain digital channels.”—Mike Seiman, CEO & Founder, Digital Remedy
Continued Shift from Multichannel to Omnichannel: "We’re going to see brands getting closer to true omnichannel strategies. Advertisers have been trying to pull together data from all these different channels, and they’re getting better at it. But the next step is to actually bring everything together in one unified plan. No more siloing channels. Everything from CTV to audio needs to be treated as part of a cohesive whole. And CTV ads, in particular, are going to become more performance-driven. It's not just about awareness anymore — it’s about results."--Oz Etzioni, CEO, Clinch
Tracking Shots: “Tracking of ad views, as opposed to ads stitched, is important for brands looking to invest in OTT. As is transparency and the ability to provide real-time metrics that can help media owners improve campaign performance while they’re happening, rather than just showing results 24-hours after the fact.”—Tim Sewell, CEO, Yospace
It's Just Common Currency: “The ad tech industry still faces fragmentation across devices, ad formats, methodologies, KPIs, metrics and workflows. One aspiration is to streamline and standardise processes and interactions among advertisers, ad tech platforms, CTV publishers and viewers as well. As technology evolves rapidly, addressing fragmentation remains essential for delivering a seamless user experience and effectively optimizing brand messaging. Establishing a common currency could be a game-changer, simplifying workflows and unlocking new budgets as audiences increasingly transition from traditional TV to streaming platforms.—Vikrant Mathur, Co-Founder, Future Today
CTV’s Deterministic Data for Campaign Optimization:"In 2025, media buyers worldwide will continue to grapple with measurement and determining a reliable source of truth. As privacy regulations tighten and third-party metrics decline, advertisers face pressure to achieve addressability and performance without compromising user data. Measurement will be critical, but which metrics can be trusted? It will be the clean rooms, not necessarily the measurement companies, that will emerge as the unsung heroes. According to the IAB, 80% of companies are either using or considering data clean rooms, but data clean room technology is not necessarily turnkey. Effective campaign optimization will require a trifecta between brands, clean rooms and CTV partners with deterministic data to provide meaningful, measured results. Delivering results across the full funnel – awareness to consideration to conversion – requires this ‘new way’ of partnership."
– Travis Howe, Vice President, Global Head of New Product Solutions, Samsung Ads
Sports and Personalization: "Advertising dollars are flooding into sports, and it’s one of the big reasons why people aren’t cutting the cord yet or opting for cheaper streaming options. People want to watch sports live, in real-time. And as the demand for live sports continues to rise, so does the investment in the tech that makes it possible. If people are willing to pay extra for live sports content, they’re giving you a clear signal: they want more relevant, personalised ad experiences. That’s a huge opportunity for advertisers. There’s a lot of value in reaching that high-engagement, high-value audience with ads that matter."--Oz Etzioni, CEO, Clinch
CTV is No Longer Reserved for the Largest Advertisers: "Looking ahead, expect to see new brands of all sizes appear on CTV platforms. Why? There will be increased opportunities for small and mid-sized companies to thrive, as the barriers to launching effective campaigns continue to fall. The rise of self-service buying options, coupled with the power of influencers and generative AI will allow businesses of all sizes to develop impactful creative without the need for extensive resources."– Michael Scott, Vice President, Head of Ad Sales & Operations, Samsung Ads
Monetizing Sports Streaming at Scale: “2025 may not feature the same level of global sporting events and high-profile elections as 2024 did, but nevertheless OTT audiences as a whole will continue to surge. Broadcasters are also entering a phase of preparation for the football World Cup and other major events in 2026. Ensuring the best possible viewer experience while maximizing monetization will remain priorities as the tech that underpins them is tested at new levels. Regardless of the stream stitching method (SSAI or SGAI), add-ons such as prefetch will be critical to monetizing OTT at scale.”—Tim Sewell, CEO, Yospace
Democratizing TV Content: "Most CTV providers have put a stake in the ground to enable smaller companies–-not traditionally leveraging TV–-to get in the game. The growth of niche streaming platforms—from BritBox and Shudder—will create new, brand-safe advertising spaces with highly engaged audiences. This trend makes TV OEMs more valuable than ever, as they offer brands a single entry point to access diverse, curated apps in one place. As advertisers shift away from linear TV and grow wary of user-generated content (UGC) due to brand safety concerns, vetted OEM ecosystems become logical and secure choices, appealing to brands seeking quality and reliability. Not only will niche streaming platforms thrive, but brands of all sizes will also capitalise on the growing availability of self-service advertising solutions, enabling more accessible and efficient media buying."–Cathy Oh, Chief Marketing Officer, TV & Mobile Service Business, Samsung Electronics and Samsung Ads
Transparency, Efficiency and Innovation will Address CTV’s Personalization Struggle: "CTV has opened new opportunities for advertisers as it marries the precision of digital targeting with the power of TV. However, the industry still faces challenges in unlocking the full potential of video personalization. Even though personalization can revolutionise advertising by delivering hyper-relevant, engaging content tailored to specific audiences, there still needs to be improvements to scale video personalization in CTV. Unlike traditional digital channels, where advertisers can access detailed data about their campaigns, CTV often leaves buyers in the dark about critical details, including the specific content their ads are running against. This absence of content-level signals erodes confidence and makes it difficult for advertisers to justify increased investment in a personalised video strategy that requires transparency and control in targeting capabilities, cost management, technical complexity, and privacy concerns. As we head into 2025, the industry can work together to enhance transparency, cut costs, and innovate to transform advertising and deliver personalization at scale. Enhancing transparency through detailed content-level insights will boost advertiser confidence and optimise inventory utilization. Streamlining costs with innovations like generative AI and dynamic creative optimization (DCO) can make personalization accessible. And the publishers will continue to build technology to deliver data as closely as possible to show-level, with solutions for thematic content: via advanced AI technology, audio and visual cues are used to identify relevant themes, sentiment, and on-screen elements. It will take a village and require the collective efforts of advertisers, publishers, and technology providers. Still, if the industry can successfully align on these priorities, advertising will shift from a one-size-fits-all model to a more dynamic, efficient, and meaningful system, ultimately benefiting consumers and advertisers alike."--Cintia Gabilan, Vice President, Media Center, IAB
Subscription Prescriptions
A Downturn in Churn? “When Disney+ launched in 2019, D23 members who signed up for a 3-year plan received a 33% discount. This strategy—bolstered by the pandemic—enabled Disney+ to exceed its initial subscriber goals years ahead of schedule. It also gave the service a runway to focus on building rather than combating churn. Today, churn is the bane of every streaming platform. In 2025, I predict we’ll see more services combat churn through long-term subscription discounts or by offering easy “click-to-freeze” options instead of outright cancellations.” –Jon Giegengack, Principal and Founder, Hub Entertainment Research
Rebundling Redux: “New streamer bundles from major Internet providers—such as Charter with Disney+ and MAX or Comcast with Netflix and Apple TV+—will gain traction in 2025. These bundles, offering better pricing and content aggregation, will prompt consumers to reconsider the value of subscribing to individual services.” –Jason Platt Zolov, Senior Consultant, Hub Entertainment Research
FAST Track: "While many predict a return to a cable-like bundling model, younger generations are driving more flexible, app-based consumption habits. Emerging opportunities with FAST channels like Tubi will play a crucial role in reaching consumers in more dynamic ways."—Julie Clark, SVP, Media & Entertainment, TransUnion
Prime Time for Disney: “Disney and Netflix remain notable holdouts from selling their services through Amazon Prime Channels. In 2025, I predict Disney will test the waters by offering select services—potentially Hulu content—on Amazon Channels to broaden their reach and increase engagement.” –Jason Platt Zolov, Senior Consultant, Hub Entertainment Research
Tier 2 Team-Ups: “In 2025, I predict at least one second-tier streaming service—Max, Paramount+, or Peacock—will cease to exist as a standalone platform. Instead, it may merge with another streamer to form a new service or be acquired by a deep-pocketed suitor and combined with other video offerings.” –Mark Loughney, Senior Consultant, Hub Entertainment Research
Best of the Rest
CDN Evolution: “The public CDN market has contracted after years of consolidation, reducing available capacity even as demand grows. Netflix’s record-breaking 60M+ concurrent stream for Tyson vs. Paul on a private CDN underscores the trend toward hybrid architectures. The future belongs to hybrid environments that combine global reach, QoE-based automated infrastructure switching, reserved capacity, improved security, and a seamless user interface.”—Marc Baillavoine, CTO, Video Network, Synamedia
Compression Renaissance: “In 2024, many rediscovered the value of compression, realizing ‘good enough’ quality wasn’t good enough—neither for audiences nor CDN bills. With ML/AI driving leaps in coding efficiency, 2025 could mark the decisive chapter in the AV1 vs. VVC showdown.”—Marc Baillavoine, CTO, Video Network, Synamedia
Social Media’s Gap: “We expect 2025 will bring the first serious attempts to align with social media and establish standards. Because each social media platform has its own technology stack, collaboration is currently challenging. Establishing standards for the delivery of short-form videos and fast-growing live streams on social platforms is a priority as existing CDNs reach their limits. Initiatives such as Media Over Quic are a step in the right direction while SVTA working groups also hold potential.”—Marc Baillavoine, CTO, Video Network, Synamedia
Open-Source Ascendancy: “Open source is reshaping the industry. Projects like SVT-AV1 and dav1d have been pivotal for AV1’s momentum over VVC. We expect more vendors to embrace open source, recognizing it as the fastest path to global tech adoption.”—Marc Baillavoine, CTO, Video Network, Synamedia
Pirates and the High C (Suites): “Unless everyone in your organization pulls together as a team, you will not be able to take on your biggest competitor in 2025: pirates. The challenge most content owners and video service providers face is that different parts of their businesses often have opposing priorities. While the security or legal teams might demand monitoring, watermarking or blocking services to tackle piracy, others in the finance, product or IT departments may disagree about the priority, cost or implementation. The way to overcome this is with a piracy strategy driven by the C-suite. An important part of this process is changing mindsets from thinking about tackling piracy as a cost center to instead recognising how it can protect existing revenues, in addition to generating new revenues. One of the first steps in this process is to consider investing in a security audit or content monitoring engagement to have the data and insights to hand to understand the piracy landscape for your content and any specific vulnerabilities you may need to address, and to then devise the most effective strategies to maximise your ROI.”—Chris White, Chief Architect, Friend MTS
News goes extremely online: “Young people are abandoning TV news in favour of social media sources, as evidenced by an election night where most TV networks saw their audience plummet while YouTube thrived. In 2025, I predict news organizations will double down on platforms like YouTube and TikTok, emphasizing short-form news content and shifting away from expensive TV personalities who fail to deliver ratings in line with their paychecks.” –Jon Giegengack, Principal and Founder, Hub Entertainment Research
Everything That Rises Must Converge: “As linear and streaming TV continue to merge, 2025 may mark the arrival of the "Convergent TV Singularity" — a transformative moment when the distinctions between the two blur entirely for buyers and sellers. This convergence reflects a shift in how media is planned, bought, and optimised, with advanced audience targeting and measurable business results taking precedence over traditional metrics. Convergent TV buyers are adopting more sophisticated strategies, leveraging data to align campaigns with tangible business outcomes. They're optimizing for impression quality, reducing wasted spend from excessive frequency, and prioritizing platforms that deliver results. This evolution signals a pivotal moment in TV advertising, where the most agile players — those who embrace data-driven, results-focused approaches — will define the future of the industry.”—Kevin Krim, CEO, EDO
Women’s Sports on the FAST Track: “A major FAST channel will acquire streaming rights to packages of several major women’s sports including the WNBA.” –Mark Loughney, Senior Consultant, Hub Entertainment Research
More Stream-First Events: “In 2025, streaming platforms will expand beyond live sports, offering more appointment viewing like comedy specials, concerts, political events, and even unconventional fare like hot-dog eating contests. Award shows may go streaming-exclusive, and weekly releases for scripted programming could make a comeback to sustain audience engagement. These live events highlight streaming’s unique power to create cultural moments, bringing people together in real-time and drawing advertisers to capitalise on shared experiences. Streaming isn’t just reshaping how we watch — it’s redefining how we connect.”—Kevin Krim, CEO, EDO