Streaming is now larger than traditional pay-TV by the broadest global measures, but there is no single, harmonized worldwide IPTV subscriber total. The latest Omdia figures separate online video from pay-TV, while national regulators report IPTV using different definitions. The safest comparisons therefore keep subscriptions, people, viewing hours, internet access and revenue in separate categories.
Global video statistics at a glance
Omdia’s 2026 release reports the following worldwide totals for the end of 2025. “Online video” includes services delivered over the internet, while “pay-TV” is the broader paid television category and is not synonymous with IPTV.
| Measure | 2025 figure | Change or share | Scope and source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Online-video subscriptions | 2.24 billion | Up 17.6% from 1.9 billion in 2024 | Worldwide subscriptions at year-end; Omdia, 2026. Omdia release |
| Online video’s share of online-video plus pay-TV subscriptions | 68.4% | Combined base: 3.3 billion subscriptions | Worldwide; Omdia, 2026 |
| Pay-TV subscriptions | 1.03 billion | Down 1.8% year on year | All pay-TV, not IPTV alone; Omdia, 2026 |
| Online-video revenue | $176 billion | Up 13.5% | 2025 subscription and transactional revenue; advertising excluded; Omdia, 2026 |
| Pay-TV revenue | $170 billion | Down 4% | 2025 subscription and transactional revenue; advertising excluded; Omdia, 2026 |
The subscription and revenue figures are market totals, not counts of unique viewers or households. One person can pay for several services, and a household can share one account.
How many people use IPTV?
No authoritative, compatible global count of IPTV users was established in the latest evidence. IPTV is usually reported by operators or national regulators, and those reports may count subscriptions, households or service lines rather than individual people. They also may use different boundaries for managed operator IPTV, internet-delivered television and other pay-TV products.
Recommended Free Tools
#1 Best Overall
- Stunning 4K and Dolby Vision streaming made simple: With America’s number 1 TV streaming platform,* exploring popular apps—plus tons of free movies, shows, and live TV—is as easy as it is fun. *Based on hours streamed—Hypothesis Group
- Breathtaking picture quality: Stunningly sharp 4K picture brings out rich detail in your entertainment with four times the resolution of HD. Watch as colors pop off your screen and enjoy lifelike clarity with Dolby Vision and HDR10+.
- Seamless streaming for any room: With Roku Streaming Stick 4K, watch your favorite entertainment on any TV in the house, even in rooms farther from your router thanks to the long-range Wi-Fi receiver.
- Shows on the go: Take your TV to-go when traveling—without needing to log into someone else’s device.
- Compact without compromises: Our sleek design won’t block neighboring HDMI ports, so you can switch from streaming to gaming with ease. Plus, it’s designed to stay hidden behind your TV, keeping wires neatly out of sight
South Korea
The Korea Media and Communications Commission reported 36.15 million paid-TV subscriptions in the second half of 2025. IPTV accounted for 21.53 million of them, or 59.57%. This is a national regulator measure for a specific six-month reporting period, not a global IPTV estimate. Korea Media and Communications Commission release
India
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India listed 0.7 million IPTV subscribers as of March 2025. The surfaced portal entry does not provide enough detail to reconcile its definition with the Korean or Omdia categories, so it should be treated as a dated national indicator only. TRAI
Rank #2
- Ultra-speedy streaming: Roku Ultra is 30% faster than any other Roku player, delivering a lightning-fast interface and apps that launch in a snap.
- Cinematic streaming: This TV streaming device brings the movie theater to your living room with spectacular 4K, HDR10+, and Dolby Vision picture alongside immersive Dolby Atmos audio.
- The ultimate Roku remote: The rechargeable Roku Voice Remote Pro offers backlit buttons, hands-free voice controls, and a lost remote finder.
- No more fumbling in the dark: See what you’re pressing with backlit buttons.
- Say goodbye to batteries: Keep your remote powered for months on a single charge.
How big is the video streaming market?
On Omdia’s stated scope, online video generated more revenue than pay-TV in 2025. The comparison includes subscription and transactional payments and excludes advertising, so it is not a measure of the entire video industry or total streaming advertising revenue.
| Question | What the evidence supports | What it does not support |
|---|---|---|
| Is online video larger by subscriptions? | Yes. Omdia’s online-video total is greater than its pay-TV total for 2025. | It does not prove that more people watch online video than pay-TV, because subscriptions are not unique viewers. |
| Is online video larger by revenue? | Yes, under Omdia’s subscription-and-transactional revenue scope. | It does not include advertising and therefore is not total streaming-industry revenue. |
| Does online video equal IPTV? | No. Online video is a broad internet-delivered category; IPTV is a narrower service category that is often associated with managed operator networks. | The 2.24-billion online-video figure must not be labeled an IPTV subscriber count. |
What do usage and audience statistics show?
Europe: weekly streaming use
A 2026 European Commission communication says 50% of Europeans used subscription streaming weekly: 25% daily and another 25% at least weekly. This is a reported audience-use result, not a subscription total. The same communication says IPTV has become Europe’s leading pay-TV platform by subscriptions and revenue, drawing on European Audiovisual Observatory and Dataxis market material. European Commission communication
Rank #3
- The Google TV Streamer (4K) delivers your favorite entertainment quickly, easily, and personalized to you[1,2]
- HDMI 2.1 cable required (sold separately)
- See movies and TV shows from all your services right from your home screen[2]; and find new things to watch with tailored recommendations for everyone in your home based on their interests and viewing habits
- Watch live TV and access over 800 free channels from Pluto TV, Tubi, and more[3]; if you find an interesting show or movie on your TV, mobile app, or Google search, you can easily add it to your watchlist, so it’s ready when you are[2]
- Up to 4K HDR with Dolby Vision delivers captivating, true-to-life detail[4]; and you can connect speakers that support Dolby Atmos for more immersive 3D sound
Italy: measured viewing time
AGCOM recorded nearly 46 million hours spent on major paid-only streaming sites in Italy during December 2025, up 20.2% year on year. The measure covers selected sites and time spent, not subscriptions, unique viewers or all devices and services. AGCOM observatory
Internet access is not a video audience
The ITU estimates that about 6 billion people, or 74% of the world’s population, used the internet in 2025. That is potential access, not the number of IPTV or streaming viewers. Its methodology also states that broadband-traffic statistics cover open-internet traffic and exclude “walled garden” services and IPTV, so general internet traffic cannot be used as IPTV traffic. ITU statistics · ITU methodology
Rank #4
- The newest Fire TV experience (2026) – Our biggest update to Fire TV has a new, modern design that gets you to your entertainment fast. Browse dedicated content categories, pin more of your favorite apps, and get personalized recommendations from Alexa+. Spend less time scrolling, and more time watching.
- Elevate your entertainment experience with a powerful processor for lightning-fast app starts and fluid navigation.
- Cloud gaming, no console required – Stream Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, Hogwarts Legacy, Outer Worlds 2, Ninja Gaiden 4, and hundreds of games on your Fire TV Stick 4K Select with Xbox Game Pass and Luna via cloud gaming. Xbox Game Pass subscription and compatible controller required. Each sold separately.
- Smarter picks with Alexa+ – Getting to what you love has never been easier. Press the voice remote button and talk naturally to find what to watch across your apps, manage your smart home, or dive into virtually any topic.
- Enjoy the show in 4K Ultra HD, with support for Dolby Vision, HDR10+, and immersive Dolby Atmos audio.
The ITU’s 2025 Facts and Figures release summarizes the access challenge this way: “This report highlights how today’s digital divides are being defined by speed, reliability, affordability, and skills, all of which we must prioritize as we work toward our mission of universal connectivity.” ITU, November 17, 2025
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Is IPTV growing faster than streaming?
There is no valid global growth-rate contest between IPTV and streaming in the available data. Omdia reports a worldwide online-video growth rate, while IPTV evidence is regional and uses regulator-specific definitions. Comparing them directly would mix unlike units and geographies.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →What the current evidence indicates
- Online video expanded strongly in 2025, although Omdia expects growth to slow in 2026.
- Omdia analyst Tony Gunnarsson attributed part of the 2025 subscription uplift to cheaper advertising-supported tiers: “It’s clear that the availability of attractively priced ad-tier options created a temporary uplift in SVOD subscriber numbers in 2025.” Omdia, June 1, 2026
- In Europe, the European Commission describes IPTV as the leading pay-TV platform by subscriptions and revenue, but that finding does not supply a comparable worldwide IPTV growth rate.
- In Canada, the CRTC says cable and IPTV services continued to perform better than satellite while Canadian broadcasting-distribution undertakings experienced declining revenue and subscriber numbers through 2025. This is a Canadian distribution trend, not a worldwide conclusion. CRTC report
How to compare IPTV and video statistics correctly
Before drawing a conclusion from any headline number, identify all of the following:
- Geography: global, regional or national.
- Reference period: year-end, a half-year, a month or a survey date.
- Unit: subscriptions, subscribers, households, people, revenue or viewing hours.
- Delivery category: IPTV, all pay-TV, SVOD/OTT, online video or open-internet traffic.
- Revenue scope: subscription and transactional payments only, or advertising included as well.
- Measurement method: a regulator’s count, an operator-based estimate, a modeled time series or a survey result.
ITU notes that some subscription estimates come from official regulators or ministries, some from operators adjusted for market share and some from time-series estimates where direct data are unavailable. Those methods can be useful within their own series, but they should not be added together as though they were one global dataset.
Quick Recap
What these statistics mean for readers
- Use Omdia’s online-video total as a broad streaming-market benchmark, not as an IPTV count.
- Use national IPTV figures to understand local market structure, not to calculate a worldwide total.
- Keep weekly-use percentages, viewing hours and subscription counts separate; each answers a different question.
- When quoting a number, name the publisher, period, geography, category and scope in the same sentence.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
