Advertising to account for majority of North American streaming revenue in 2026

Ad-supported tiers are expected to generate 54% of North American subscription streaming revenue by the end of 2026, with combined advertising and subscription revenue from those tiers exceeding $45 billion, according to Ampere Analysis.

Advertising revenue alone is forecast to surpass $18 billion in the region this year, accounting for more than one-fifth of total subscription OTT revenue for the first time, the research firm said.

North America is expected to account for nearly 60% of global ad-supported subscription OTT revenue. Ampere attributed the region’s position to higher subscription average revenue per user, stronger advertising CPMs, a mature connected TV advertising market and greater consumer acceptance of advertising.

Consumer goods and retail companies have been among the leading advertisers on subscription streaming services. Procter & Gamble, Amazon and Walmart accounted for 22% of U.S. subscription OTT advertising impressions so far in 2026, according to Ampere.

Amazon Prime Video is expected to lead the North American ad-supported subscription OTT market, with revenue exceeding $14 billion in 2026. Amazon shifted Prime Video subscribers to an ad-supported plan in 2023, with users required to pay an additional fee to opt out of advertising.

Netflix and Disney+, by comparison, have used lower prices and reduced ad loads to encourage customers to select their ad-supported tiers.

Ampere also found that advertising was influencing streamers’ content strategies. The six largest global streaming services doubled first-run and renewal orders for unscripted content in North America between 2020 and 2025, according to the research firm.

“Advertising has become a fundamental part of streamers’ business models, changing both how success is measured and the content they commission. As subscriber growth slows in mature markets, the focus has shifted towards driving engagement and habitual viewing. The challenge now is to increase monetisation without compromising the premium viewing experience that these streamers have spent years cultivating,” Rory Gooderick, research manager at Ampere Analysis, said.

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