Quick Answer
How many people use streaming services in 2025?
Streaming services have more than 2.3 billion users worldwide.
How many people use streaming services in 2025?
The answer is more than what you would have guessed.
Today, we ask our friends about their current Netflix streams more than how they are doing with their jobs.
It seems like the latest Disney+ release has become the 21st century’s ultimate ice breaker, especially on awkward first dates.
Truth be told, you can’t blame anyone. The times have changed, people!
We are no longer living in an age where we had to travel miles to get our hands on a collection of Star Wars movies sitting in the dusty corners of a small video rental shop.
Movies and music are here–and we can play them whenever, wherever.
How Many People Use Streaming Services in 2025?
Let’s get right into answering how many people use streaming services in 2025.
Video streaming services sport 1.8 billion users worldwide, while music streaming platforms have 524 million users.
Their combined number of users totals to more than 2.3 billion.
Such a level is more than half of the total number of internet users globally which currently stands at 5.03 billion.
Does this mean 2.3 billion individuals worldwide are using streaming services? Not necessarily.
An average user in the United States pays for four streaming subscriptions, with a combined monthly cost of $8.53.
Global Streaming Market Value
Now, let’s take a look at the value of the global streaming market measured in dollar terms. This data from Statista is for the period covering 2018 to 2022.
- 2018 – the global streaming market was valued at $42.4 billion during the year
- 2019 – the global streaming market was valued at $50.5 billion during the year
- 2020 – the global streaming market was valued at $59.1 billion during the year
- 2021 – the global streaming market was valued at $72.2 billion during the year
- 2022 – the global streaming market is currently valued at $84.3 billion
Revenue from video streaming platforms accounts for the biggest chunk of the market.
In 2021, the sector contributed $59.14 billion out of the global streaming market’s total value of $72.2 billion during the year.
Projected Value of the Global Streaming Market
Meanwhile, here is the forecasted value of the global streaming market from 2023 to 2026.
- 2023 – the global streaming market is forecasted to reach a market value of $90.8 billion during the year
- 2024 – the global streaming market is forecasted to reach a market value of $98.8 billion during the year
- 2025 – the global streaming market is forecasted to reach a market value of $106.8 billion during the year
- 2026 – the global streaming market is forecasted to reach a market value of $115.0 billion during the year
Downstream Traffic Analysis by Category
Video streaming dominates the global downstream traffic at 60.6%. Downstream traffic refers to the internet-delivered data including video, music, and game streaming.
- Video streaming – 60.6% of the internet’s downstream traffic comes from applications that fall under this category
- Web browsing – 16.6% of the internet’s downstream traffic comes from applications that fall under this category
- Gaming – 8.0% of the internet’s downstream traffic comes from applications that fall under this category
- Social media – 6.1% of the internet’s downstream traffic comes from applications that fall under this category
- File sharing – 4.2% of the internet’s downstream traffic comes from applications that fall under this category
- Marketplace – 2.6% of the internet’s downstream traffic comes from applications that fall under this category
- Security and VPN – 1.6% of the internet’s downstream traffic comes from applications that fall under this category
- Messaging – 1.6% of the internet’s downstream traffic comes from applications that fall under this category
- Cloud computing – 1.4% of the internet’s downstream traffic comes from applications that fall under this category
- Audio streaming – 0.4% of the internet’s downstream traffic comes from applications that fall under this category
Netflix
- Year of launch: 2007
- The total number of current subscribers: 220.7 million subscribers
- Market share: Netflix occupies the biggest share in the overall video streaming market in the United States, capturing 23% of the total
Amazon Prime Video
- Year of launch: 2006
- The total number of current subscribers: 175 million subscribers
- Market share: Amazon’s video streaming platform comes second to Netflix and has captured 19% of the total US market
Disney+
- Year of launch: 2019
- The total number of current subscribers: 152.90 million subscribers
- Market share: although one of the youngest streaming platforms, Disney+ already managed to capture 13% of the overall streaming market and is expected to overtake Amazon Prime Video in terms of market share by 2025
HBO Max
- Year of launch: 2020 (for global users)
- The total number of current subscribers: 76.8 million subscribers
- Market share: captured 14% of the market. Thanks to its exclusive series with the likes of Game of Thrones that brought millions of new subscribers to the platform
Hulu
- Year of launch: 2007
- The total number of current subscribers: 45.6 million subscribers
- Market share: the platform holds 11% of the global streaming market
Paramount+
- Year of launch: 2014
- The total number of current subscribers: 43.3 million subscribers
- Market share: the platform captured 4% of the global streaming market
Apple TV
- Year of launch: 2019
- The total number of current subscribers: 33.6 million subscribers
- Market share: the Apple Inc-owned video streaming service holds 4% of the global streaming market
Conclusion
We are never running out of streaming service providers encompassing video, music, and gaming, among others. We have so many choices to choose from.
Today, it is hard to imagine living without streaming videos during our off days from work which has become our ultimate way of de-stressing.
With its growing popularity, the global streaming market value hit $84.3 billion this year.
Netflix remains the strongman in the field with 220.7 million paid subscribers and growing.
There’s no doubt that “Netflix and chill” will never lose its appeal, at least in the next five years.
