Global SVoD subs up 28% in 2019

Gross SVoD subscriptions and net SVoD subscribers, thousands (click to enlarge)

The number of SVoD subscriptions around the world increased by 28% over 2019, according to the latest figures from industry analysis firm Digital TV Research.

The company found that there were 642 million gross subscriptions in 2019, up from 503 million in 2018.

Meanwhile, the net subscriber count rose by 55 million (16%) to hit the 403 million mark in 2019. This indicates a rise in the number of subscriptions per consumer, with the average SVoD subscriber paying for 1.59 SVoD subscriptions in 2019 – up from 1.44 in 2018.

Digital TV Research’s latest figures also show that the US has overtaken China as the gross SVoD leader, with the countries accounting for around 200 million subscribers each. China and the US together accounted for 63% of global subscriptions in 2019, with the US adding 43 million subscriptions in 2019 and China adding 35 million.

The global rise in subscriptions was largely driven by the launch of SVoD services from high-profile players in 2019, with Disney+ and Apple TV+ both arriving towards the end of the year and quickly attracting customers.

No slowdown in global subscription rates is expected this year, with new streaming services such as WarnerMedia’s HBO Max and NBCUniversal’s Peacock having entered the market.