Video consumption and entertainment spending increased in 2025

TiVo has released its Q4 2025 “Video Trends Report,” finding that consumer video engagement reached its highest level since 2021 as households increased their use of streaming and pay TV services despite ongoing economic pressures.

According to the report, households used more than 10 video services on average in the fourth quarter of 2025, daily viewing exceeded five hours and monthly entertainment spending rose to $161. TiVo said the figures represented year-over-year growth following a decline in engagement and spending after the pandemic.

The report found that viewing preferences remained relatively stable as entertainment options expanded. About half of respondents said they preferred entire seasons of programming to be released at once, while about 20% favored weekly episode releases.

“Consumers are watching more video than ever before, but they’re enjoying that content across an increasingly fragmented mix of platforms and services,” said Geir Skaaden, chief products and services officer at Xperi.

“As the entertainment ecosystem continues to expand, helping viewers easily discover and access the content they want has become more important than ever. For advertisers and platforms alike, delivering simple, seamless viewing experiences will be critical to reaching audiences and keeping them engaged,” he said.

The report also highlighted ongoing challenges around content discovery. Forty percent of consumers said they checked two to three different apps before deciding what to watch. Word of mouth influenced 49% of viewers, while 40% cited social media as a source for content recommendations.

Local programming accounted for nearly 30% of total viewing time, up about five percentage points from a year earlier, according to the report. Sports also remained a major driver of engagement, with nearly 60% of sports viewers relying on pay TV as their primary source for sports content.

“The number of viewing options available to consumers continues to grow, but what is most notable is how audiences are responding to that expansion,” said Alan Wolk, co-founder and lead analyst at TVREV.

Advertisement

“Consumers are becoming more selective about where they spend their time and money, and entertainment services remain a priority. Live sports and local programming serve as important anchors, while the broader market is shifting toward simpler, more value-conscious viewing choices. The industry is entering a phase where effective curation and discovery matter just as much as scale,” he said.

The report found that 54% of consumers used ad-supported subscription tiers, while adoption of advertising-supported video-on-demand and free ad-supported streaming television services increased to 70% in Q4 2025. Those services accounted for 13% of total viewing time.

TiVo surveyed 4,493 adults in the United States and Canada during the fourth quarter of 2025 for the report. The study examined viewing habits, subscription services, connected devices, over-the-top applications and content discovery trends.