There’s no question that streaming has a hold on the entertainment industry. If you’ve been curious about what percentage of people stream, if the streaming industry is growing, and how the streaming industry is doing as a whole, you’ve come to the right place!
We’ve gathered the best streaming statistics of 2023.
Ready? Let’s dive in.
The top streaming statistics in 2023
- 83% of US households have at least one streaming service subscription
- An estimated 1.8 billion people have at least one subscription to a video streaming platform
- Titles available to TV viewers have grown by 1 million programs since 2020
- Netflix has more than 231 million subscribers, making it the most-used video streaming platform
- 42% of Americans have watched live-streamed content
- 82 million Americans pay for on-demand music streaming
- Video game streaming is now a $9.3 billion per year industry and is expected to see a revenue of $11.69 billion this year
- Streaming is more popular than cable or broadcast television, accounting for 38% of TV usage
- The average American streams video for just over 3 hours a day
- Music streaming accounts for 84% of the U.S. music industry’s revenue
Streaming industry statistics
When we look at the statistics surrounding the streaming industry, we immediately see how quickly it’s grown. We also get a clear picture of how people across the world interact with it and spend their free time.
Whether it’s generating billions in revenue or making it harder than ever to choose what to watch, this is one sector of entertainment that will continue to grow for years to come.
Video streaming statistics
Video streaming accounts for almost 50% of downstream internet traffic and 19% of upstream.
(Sandvine)
It was followed by social networking (19% upstream, 16% downstream), web (13% downstream, 23% upstream), and messaging (6% upstream, 20% downstream).
83% of US households have at least one streaming service subscription.
(Exploding Topics)
That number has grown year over year since 2015, when it was just 52%. The only exceptions are between 2020 and 2021, when it remained at 78%, and 2022 and 2023, when it stayed at 83%.
70% of millennials use video streaming services.
(Zippia)
Unsurprisingly, older generations use video streaming services far less often than younger ones; just 49% of Baby Boomers said they had access to at least one streaming service.
Since 2020, the number of titles available to TV viewers has grown by over 1 million programs.
(Nielsen)
As of 2023, they now have 2.7 million individual video titles to choose from across broadcast, cable, and streaming channels.
But that’s not always a good thing – the time it takes to choose what to watch has increased by more than three minutes since 2019, topping out at 10 minutes and 30 seconds.
Women between the ages of 18 and 34 spend 73% of their streaming time watching classic television shows.
(Nielsen)
When we say “classic,” we mean shows that first aired on television rather than streaming, like Gilmore Girls or Grey’s Anatomy. Interestingly enough, men spend more time watching acquired programming such as Stranger Things.
But it’s not always gender-based. In May 2023, 60% of streaming time was dedicated to shows that aired on linear channels, up 5% from last year.
Streaming takes up 38% of TV usage, making it more popular than cable or broadcast television.
(Nielsen)
In Q4 of 2022, cable accounted for 30.9% of usage, while broadcast made up just 24.7%.
26% of users binge-watch content on video streaming platforms at least once a week.
(Exploding Topics, Business Insider)
When asked, 26% said they binge-watch at least once per week, 19% do it every day, and 20% do it several times per month. Just 14% do it once a month, and 20% do it several times yearly.
Binge-watching increases on Netflix, with 70% of users admitting to binge-watching a television show at least once. What constitutes a binge session? Three to five episodes.
There are now more than 817,000 unique titles available for streaming in the US alone.
(Nielsen, Exploding Topics)
With about 52 million minutes of streaming time, Stranger Things was the most-streamed program of 2022.
Encanto was the most-streamed movie of 2022.
(Exploding Topics)
It had 27 billion minutes of streaming time. The top 10 most-streamed movies were:
- Encanto (27 billion minutes)
- Turning Red (11.4 billion minutes)
- Sing 2 (11.3 billion minutes)
- Moana (8.6 billion minutes)
- The Adam Project (6.1 billion minutes)
- Hocus Pocus 2 (5.6 billion minutes)
- Don’t Look Up (5.1 billion minutes)
- Frozen (5.1 billion minutes)
- Luca (4.9 billion minutes)
- The Gray Man (4.9 billion minutes)
Stranger Things was the most-streamed program of 2022.
(Exploding Topics)
It accounted for 52 billion minutes of streaming time throughout 2022. The top 10 most-streamed programs were:
- Stranger Things (52 billion minutes)
- NCIS (38.1 billion minutes)
- Cocomelon (37.8 billion minutes)
- Ozark (31.3 billion minutes)
- Grey’s Anatomy (26.8 billion minutes)
- Criminal Minds (24.9 billion minutes)
- Bluey (21.1 billion minutes)
- Gilmore Girls (20.8 billion minutes)
- Seinfeld (19.3 billion minutes)
- Supernatural (18.8 billion minutes)
The average American streams video for just over 3 hours a day.
(Forbes)
On average, Americans spend 3.1 hours streaming video each day. When it comes to the platforms they’re using, Netflix and Prime Video are among the most popular paid streaming services in the US.
Americans streamed almost 15 million years’ worth of video content in 2021 alone.
(Nielsen)
In just the last week of December 2021, Americans streamed a staggering 183 billion minutes of video content. Some of the most-streamed content included the Great British Baking Show, Squid Game, and Disney’s Luca.
An estimated 1.8 billion people have at least one subscription to a video streaming platform.
(Exploding Topics)
That’s a steep increase from 2020 when it had just 1.1 billion subscribers.
Cost is the most important part of a video streaming platform for 84% of consumers.
(Exploding Topics)
It was followed closely by ease of use (81%), variety and availability of content (79%), and quality of playback (77%).
The least important attributes are the ability to download content for offline viewing (40%), menu recommendations (38%), and availability of live content (37%).
Netflix has more than 231 million subscribers, making it the most-used platform.
(Exploding Topics)
As of Q4 2022, Netflix had over 231 million subscribers. It was followed closely by Disney+ (157 million subscribers), Prime Video (117 million subscribers), HBO Max (97 million subscribers), and Paramount+ (60 million subscribers).
Netflix generates more traffic than Facebook.
(Sandvine)
Netflix makes up 14% of total internet traffic. Though it comes in just behind Google, it outranks some of the most popular websites on the planet, including Facebook, Microsoft, Apple, and Amazon.
Revenue from video streaming apps is expected to hit $115 million by 2026.
(Forbes)
The rise in popularity of video streaming has increased revenue from $72 billion in 2021 to as much as $115 million in the next three years.
78% of younger audiences are most likely to use streaming for gaming.
(Startupbonsai)
On the other hand, audiences who are 45 or older are more likely to use it for entertainment purposes.
With a monthly cost of $15.49, Netflix is the most expensive video streaming platform.
(Forbes, Nielsen)
It’s followed closely by HBO Max ($14.99), Hulu ($12.99), and Paramount + ($9.99). The most inexpensive platforms are Apple TV ($4.99), Discovery+ ($6.99), and Disney+ ($7.99).
53% of those with paid streaming subscriptions spend $20 or more per month. Just 16% pay less than $10 per month.
Live-streaming statistics
42% of Americans have watched live-streamed content.
(Blogging Wizard)
But that’s just the general population – 50% of superhero franchise fans have live-streamed content, and 61% of family movie franchise fans have.
Content that’s live-streamed sees 27% more viewership than on-demand content.
(Zippia)
Live streaming is often regarded as a more effective method of keeping the viewer’s attention. For instance, a live-streamed piece of content would be watched for an hour, whereas on-demand content would be watched for just 50 minutes.
63% of people aged 18-34 watch live-streaming content regularly
(Neil Patel)
What percentage of people are live streaming? More than 60!
Needless to say, live streams are most popular among millennials and point to a growing trend of preferring spur-of-the-moment live videos over pre-recorded or scripted ones.
Breaking news is the most popular category for live streaming, with 37% watching it.
(Demand Sage)
It’s followed by comedy (31%), videos by friends or family (30%), sports games (29%), and local newscasts (25%). Music concerts and festivals (16%), religious events (14%), and conferences (14%) are the least popular things to live-stream.
80% of audiences prefer a live-stream video to traditional marketing materials.
(LiveStream, Demand Sage)
A majority of consumers would rather watch a live video than read something like a blog post because it takes less time, is more entertaining, and can generally be much more creative. Because of this, 63% of marketers say they plan to increase their usage of live videos moving forward.
As of 2023, there are 158.2 million live stream viewers in the US.
(DemandSage)
This number is expected to reach 164.6 million by 2026.
Gaming and eSports are some of the most-watched live-streaming content.
(Startupbonsai, Demand Sage)
54% live-stream gaming and eSports, making them the most-watched. The two are projected to reach more than 900 million viewers by 2024.
It’s followed by music, sports, and entertainment (17%), professional content (9%), and IRL (6%),
Globally, the live-streaming industry is expected to see a CAGR of 21% between 2021 and 2028.
(Zippia)
At that rate, the market would increase to $223.98 billion in the next five years.
Over half of all live-stream content is gaming-related.
(Findstack)
It’s estimated that 54% of live-streaming content is related to video game streaming.
Music streaming statistics
In the US, music streaming revenue passed $14 billion in 2022.
(Statista)
That’s almost double the $7.3 billion recorded in 2018.
82 million Americans pay for on-demand music streaming.
(Forbes, SXM Business, Statista, G2, Drive Research)
According to recent studies, 14% of people use a paid music streaming service at least once a day.
32% of those who pay for music streaming use Spotify, making it the most popular platform. It’s followed closely by Apple Music (15%), Amazon Music (13%), Tencent Music (13%), and YouTube Music.
However, much like Netflix users, music streamers are prone to sharing: for every one paid subscription, there are 3.6 listeners.
The most-streamed Spotify song ever is “Blinding Lights” by The Weeknd.
(Business Insider)
Released in November 2019, it has racked up more than 3.3 billion streams on the platform. The top 10 most-streamed songs are:
- “Blinding Lights” by The Weeknd (3.36 billion streams)
- “Shape of You” by Ed Sheeran (3.34 billion streams)
- “Dance Monkey” by Tones and I (2.73 billion streams)
- “Someone You Loved” by Lewis Capaldi (2.61 billion streams)
- “Rockstar” by Post Malone (2.58 billion streams)
- “Sunflower” by Post Malone (2.52 billion streams)
- “One Dance” by Drake (2.51 billion streams)
- “Closer” by The Chainsmokers (2.44 billion streams)
- “Believer” by Imagine Dragons (2.35 billion streams)
- “Stay” by The Kid LAROI (2.34 billion streams)
Drake is the most-streamed artist on Spotify, coming in at 61.5 billion streams.
(Drive Research)
As of August, Drake tops the list, followed by Bad Bunny (56.5 billion streams), Taylor Swift (54.1 billion streams), The Weeknd (46 billion streams), and Ed Sheeran (43.9 billion streams).
80% of subscribers use their smartphone to access music streaming, making it the most popular tool.
(Nielsen)
41% say they use a smart speaker or smart TV, 39% use a computer, 37% use an internet-connected device, and 31% use a tablet. Just 24% use a car-connected system.
Apple Music has the largest catalog of music, with more than 90 million songs.
(Drive Research)
It outranks Deezer, Amazon Music, and Spotify.
Music streaming subscriptions increased by more than 10% during the Covid-19 pandemic.
(Forbes)
Between Q4 2019 and Q1 2020, paid subscriptions increased by 13%. More than half who upgraded said they did so in order to get rid of ads.
Music streaming accounts for 84% of the U.S. music industry’s revenue.
(Musical Pursuits)
This includes paid subscriptions, ad-supported services, digital and customized radio, as well as music licenses for Facebook, and digital fitness apps. Of those, paid subscriptions account for the largest share (78%).
On average, Americans stream 75 minutes of music each day.
(Drive Research)
R&B and hip-hop is the most popular genre, and within that genre, Drake, NBA Youngboy, and Juice WRLD are among the most popular artists.
Video game streaming statistics
Across the world, people spent 7.4 billion hours streaming video games in Q1 of 2023.
(Stream Hatchet)
While that number is still double from Q1 2019 and up 43% from Q1 2020, viewership has dropped slightly. There were 9.4 billion hours this time last year, a 16% difference. This is mainly attributed to the 68.9% decline in Facebook Live and the 10% decline in Twitch.
Video game streaming is now a $9.3 billion per year industry.
(Forbes, Statista)
Video game streaming allows for players to enjoy a game such as League of Legends and Fortnite. With most gaming systems able to be used as streaming devices, the industry has taken off and is currently making $9.3 billion per year. It’s expected to see a revenue of $11.69 billion in 2023.
There are 3 billion video game players worldwide, and 2.8 billion of them play online.
(Statista, Global X ETFs)
In fact, online gaming makes up most of the industry. Of online players, 60% play games on their smartphones. Mobile gaming is the largest and fastest-growing video game segment with revenue expected to reach as much as $218.7 billion by 2024.
Twitch is valued at $6 billion, making it the most extensive online video game streaming service in the world.
(StartupBonsai, Backlinko, Forbes, Streamcharts)
The site receives an average of 30 million daily users and sees an annual revenue of $1.54 billion. When it comes to those users, 65% are male, 75% are 35 or younger, and they’re streaming roughly 118,000 video games at any given time.
YouTube is the second-largest streaming service, followed by Facebook Gaming.
Riot Games is the number one live video game streaming publisher.
(Streamlabs)
It boasts a total of more than 927.6 million total hours of video games watched. They also have the most followers on Twitch at 5.1 million.
With 35.1 million viewers in its early access period, Hogwarts Legacy broke an all-time Twitch record.
(Stream Hatchet)
It totaled 69.3M viewing hours and became the single-player game with the highest viewership of all time on Twitch.
What is the future of streaming?
93% say they plan to increase their paid streaming service subscriptions or make no changes at all.
(Nielsen)
That’s not surprising, given that only one in 20 have negative feelings about streaming, and only 31% canceled any services recently.
The average revenue per user in the video streaming market is set to increase to just over $73 in 2023.
(Statista)
User penetration will top 17% and likely hit 20.7% by 2027.
64% of consumers want to bundle their subscriptions for ease of use.
(Nielsen)
With so many streaming services, it can be hard to know which one to choose. In fact, 46% say the numerous options actually make it harder to find something to watch, and 20% have chosen to do something else altogether when they couldn’t choose!
No wonder more than three in five say they want a bundled service that would let them pick and choose the services they wanted.
Experts estimate that live streaming will see more than $180 billion in revenue growth within the next four years.
(iWiseBusiness)
Live streaming will continue to grow and is estimated to account for $184.3 billion in revenue growth by the end of 2027, making it worth more than $247 billion.
Conclusion
There you have it! The ultimate statistics about the streaming industry, types of streaming platforms, and how they’ve changed over the years.
Which statistic surprised you the most?
Read more:
Online Gaming Statistics and Facts: The Definitive Guide
Netflix Statistics: The Ultimate List
Sources:
About Jasmine Katatikarn
Jasmine Katatikarn is the founder of Academy of Animated Art. She has 20+ years of experience in Feature Animation and VFX. Jasmine’s lighting credits include movies like Ice Age, Ferdinand, Peanuts, and Rio. Read more about Jasmine here.
