TV and video competition is extending past traditional terrestrial, cable and satellite, to telecoms behemoths (IPTV) -- "When telcos with IPTV aspirations acknowledge the difficulty in competing with broadcasters for TV audience in sophisticated markets like the UK (where digital terrestrial, cable and satellite penetration is strong), and acknowledge VoD transactions need to be high volume/price to make a profit contribution (since networks require upgrades and media firms take around 60% of revenues), they may consider the provision of more niche content as a differentiator."
The global streaming industry has spent the better part of a decade chasing subscriber counts as the primary metric of success. That era is now formally over. New market data from Omdia confirms that the industry has crossed a decisive threshold; one that shifts the competitive playing field from growth-at-all-costs to monetization discipline. For senior executives navigating media, advertising, and technology strategy, the implications extend well beyond entertainment. A Historic Revenue Crossover Online video revenue increased 13.5 percent to $176 billion in 2025, while pay-TV revenue declined 4 percent to $170 billion; marking the first time in the industry's history that streaming has surpassed legacy pay-TV in revenue terms. This is not a rounding error or a statistical artifact; it represents the culmination of more than a decade of structural disruption to the traditional broadcast and cable TV model. Global subscriptions to online video services reached 2.24 billion by the ...