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State of the Screens

The anti-Netflix: Free, ad-supported video streaming services are growing

By October 10, 2018No Comments

Ad-supported video streaming is having its moment as consumers are potentially reaching a limit on the number of video subscriptions.

Quote from Colin Petrie-Norris– CEO @ Xumo:
“Once you’ve signed up for Netflix and Amazon and Hulu, you’re more than $30 deep…Price-sensitive consumers are seeing [free video streaming services] as viable alternatives or complements to paid services — that’s probably the biggest factor.”

Connected TV users by year (% growth) according to eMarketer:
1) 2017–168.1M (↑ 10%)
2) 2018–181.5M (↑ 8%)
3) 2019–188.1M (↑ 4%)
4) 2020–191.6M (↑ 2%)
5) 2021–194.4M (↑ 2%)

How do you know that this is a big market? Amazon is moving in!

More #1: Amazon has discussed building its own advertising technology for OTT TV — and it would put it in competition with Comcast and Google

More #2: Majority of premium digital video ads being delivered to TV screens now, study says

More #3: Google may have pulled off a TV ad-tech coup just as Comcast and Disney were duking it out over Fox and Sky

Michael Beach

Michael Beach is the Chief Executive Officer of Cross Screen Media, a media analytics and software company that enables marketers to plan, activate, and measure CTV and linear TV at the local level. Michael is also the founder and editor of State of the Screens, a weekly newsletter focused on video advertising that is a must-read for thought leaders in the advertising industry. He has appeared in such publications as PBS Frontline, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Axios, CNBC and Bloomberg, and on NPR’s Planet Money podcast.