The global video streaming market is poised to generate $190bn annually from 2bn paid subscriptions by 2029, according to new analysis from Ampere. Key strategic developments, like Netflix’s account-sharing crackdown and cheaper ad tier offer, and rivals Disney+ and Max’s aggressive approach to bundling, are driving revenue growth in saturated streaming markets. 

With paid streaming totalling 1.8bn subscriptions today, Ampere Analysis predicts this figure will reach over 2bn globally in the next five years. The milestone will come less than a decade after global streaming subscriptions surpassed 1bn at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Stay-at-home orders caused a historical peak of 282m new streaming sign-ups in the year 2020 alone.

The current trajectory is a marked slow-down in subscriber growth compared to the previous five years, when global subscriptions doubled from 2019 to 2024. Streamers will have to work hard to reengage growth in less saturated markets, investing in marketing and locally relevant content. 

The Asia Pacific region will be significant for subscriber growth over the next five years as the more developed US market becomes increasingly saturated. India, for example, was Netflix’s second-largest subscriber growth market in 2024, and the company has barely scratched the surface there in terms of growth potential.

Soon to be the largest contributing segment to the global TV economy, subscription streamers will generate almost $170bn annually in 2029 from paid subscriptions. From this, Netflix will claim a 29% market share. Subscription streaming is expected to generate an additional $22bn in 2029 from ad sales as traditionally ad-free streaming services pivot to ad-tiers, taking the annual revenue of the global subscription streaming market past $190bn.