In 20 countries around the world, consumers are increasingly adopting the ad tiers offered by major SVOD platforms including Netflix, Disney+ and HBO Max, signaling both a desire for cheaper streaming options and an opportunity for advertisers.

Streaming data specialist Digital i analyzed Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+ and HBO Max ad tier adoption for Q3 2025 in its latest report, looking at major markets including the US, Canada, the UK, France, Italy, Australia and Japan.

For Netflix, 40% of all active accounts were on its Standard with Ads plan, up from 26% in Q4 2024. Disney+ saw a similar jump from 35% to 44% in the same timeframe, and so did HBO Max (22% to 28%). Prime Video is a bit of a different beast—82% of its users were on an ad tier in Q3 2025, down from 88% the previous quarter.

These findings have two major implications: First, increasingly budget-conscious consumers want to keep streaming, but don’t want to pay for ad-free tiers. And second, the ad spend that has been lost by linear TV will likely move to SVODs as brands and advertisers notice this audience growth.

It has been said that streaming is just slowly reinventing traditional TV. Digital i’s data shows that a growing number of consumers aren’t against that shift, or the familiar bahavior of watching ads. And as ad tiers become more popular, they could be a solution for advertisers looking to reach audiences in an increasingly fragmented market.

While the streamer kids content investment goldrush is certainly over, there have been hints lately that there could be an uptick on the horizon. Just yesterday, Ampere Analysis predicted that SVODs (including Netflix and Prime Video) will collectively spend US$4.8 billion on programming for children in 2026, up from US$4.6 billion last year.

Image courtesy of Tumisu from Pixabay.