Ad-tier subscriptions and their impact on SVOD in the UK
Partner content
One of the biggest changes for UK consumers in the past year has been the addition of ad-supported subscription tiers by the main SVOD services.
Originally, the value exchange was “pay for a subscription, have ad-free content”, but in 2024 that changed: lower-priced subscription tiers arrived with ads, so you’re still paying, but you can get it cheaper if you accept ads.
With many in the UK facing a cost-of-living crisis, it’s interesting to see how these ad-tier subscriptions have grown since their introduction.
Adwanted UK’s exclusive Video & Voice survey, run by YouGov, has been tracking the reported take-up of these ad-tiers since 2024, with Netflix currently looking like this:
Netflix’s trend shows that the £4.99 advertising tier has quickly gained popularity: initially, around 30% of subscribers reported taking this subscription type in H1 2024, and it has now risen to nearly 45% in H1 2026. A mirrored downward trend is also evident for the standard £10.99 monthly package.
Looking at how that trend changes by age range tells an interesting story: older age groups are currently more likely to take the cheaper service with adverts, while the reverse is true for the advert-free option.
Adwanted Consulting has created a Subscription VOD in the UK report where you can see this age group data for Netflix, as well as further analysis on Disney+ and Amazon Prime Video.
You can access this free report here:
This latest addition to Adwanted’s Media Pulse suite of reports examines the UK SVOD market from both a commercial and consumer perspective, covering the power of good content, subscription models, and the likelihood of cancellation.
Key recent and relevant articles from The Media Leader are interspersed amongst the content, with the final section looking to the future, as several industry experts provide their view on where the subscription VOD market will be in the next few years, including views from Barb, Omdia, and Havas, alongside Adwanted’s own John Moulding, technology editor at Adwanted Content and The Media Leader.
The data in this report is predominantly taken from surveys which are available in Adwanted Connected’s award-winning Consumer Surveys app. For more information, please contact [email protected] or call 020 7420 3252.