Streaming industry makes its case for a bigger slice of ad budgets

Streaming has become Australians' preferred way to watch television, according to a new industry-backed report that makes a compelling, if unsurprising, case for advertisers to direct more of their budgets towards the medium.

The inaugural State of Streaming report, commissioned by streaming industry association Video Futures Collective (VFC), draws together research from YouGov and several industry sources to examine audience behaviour, advertising investment and effectiveness.

Its headline finding is that 66% of Australians prefer streaming services for television content, compared with 54% who selected broadcast television, according to YouGov research conducted in October.

The figures add weight to streaming's growing dominance in Australian viewing habits, although the two preferences are not mutually exclusive.

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The report cites Samsung Ads data showing streaming accounted for 73% of viewing on Samsung Smart TVs during the third quarter of 2026, with linear television accounting for the remaining 27%.

It's a significant result, albeit one drawn specifically from Samsung households rather than the broader Australian television market.

But the report's central argument goes beyond viewing habits. It seeks to establish ad-supported streaming audiences as particularly valuable to advertisers.

According to YouGov, these viewers are more likely to be employed full-time, university-educated and higher-income earners than ad-free or non-streamers.

They also report stronger purchasing intentions across several categories, including accommodation, flights, beverages and quick-service restaurants.

For example, ad-supported streamers were 26% more likely to indicate an intention to purchase paid accommodation and 22% more likely to book flights.

The distinction is important. Higher purchasing propensity does not necessarily demonstrate that streaming advertising is responsible for those purchasing decisions.

The report also draws on existing research from IAB Australia showing VOD advertising investment grew 10% year on year, with 71% of advertisers intending to increase spending. WPP forecasts a further 21% increase in VOD investment in 2027.

Separate research from Amplified, Adgile and Analytic Partners is used to support the case for streaming's attention and advertising effectiveness.

VFC CEO Toby Dewar said the report was designed to give advertisers a clearer picture of the market.

“The State of Streaming report is designed to bring those signals together in one consistent view, giving the industry a clearer picture of where the market is heading and where the opportunities are emerging,” Dewar said.

The YouGov research drew on a nationally representative panel of 49,803 Australian adults, weighted against ABS data for age, gender and state.

Separate audience comparisons involved 1,214 respondents who watch ad-supported streaming services, including SVOD, BVOD, AVOD and FAST, and 792 respondents who do not watch streaming platforms carrying advertising.

The inaugural report also combines research from 2025 and 2026, with the organisation saying some earlier findings had not previously been brought together in a report of this kind. The report will be updated quarterly.