Streaming Services Are Set to Exceed $100B in Spending by 2026, According to New Report

Streaming platforms are projected to surpass $100 billion in content spending for the first time this year, according to a report by Ampere Analysis.

This milestone underscores that global streamers will continue to be the leading force behind growth in content investment, as highlighted by Ampere.

Expenditures by companies like Netflix, Disney+, Prime Video, HBO Max, Paramount+, and Apple TV are expected to rise by 6% this year. This increase will contribute to a 2% overall growth in global content spending, resulting in a projected total of $101 billion from streamers—marking the first time this figure has crossed the significant $100 billion threshold. This amount will account for approximately 40% of total global content investment.

While major sporting events such as the World Cup in Los Angeles and the Winter Olympics are anticipated to benefit local networks, Ampere identifies the expansion of sports strategies among major streamers as a key factor driving up spending. Many platforms, including Amazon’s Prime Video, are now heavily investing in sports content, having secured major NBA broadcasting rights through 2026.

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Streamers are significantly increasing their investments, even as local networks contend with rising costs, challenges in advertising, and evolving viewership patterns in the post-pandemic landscape. A similar analysis by Ampere last year indicated that streaming expenditures were poised to exceed those of commercial broadcasters for the first time in history.

Peter Ingram, research manager at Ampere, stated: “The accelerating shift in content investment toward streaming underscores a structural rebalancing of the global TV market, with scale and reach emerging as the central competitive differentiators for operators to remain buoyant.”