Tubi Releases Annual Streaming Insights Report

The free AVOD service Tubi has released details from The Stream 2026: When Intention Becomes Attention, its annual cultural insights report examining how streaming entertainment is influencing consumer behavior. 

This survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of Tubi from November 24th, 2025 to December 2nd, 2025, among 2,500 respondents ages 18+ that stream video at least one hour a week and live in the United States.

There were a lot of interesting data points, and some of them are a bit surprising:

* 55% of viewers report streaming TV or movies for 1–3 hours in one sitting, and are even more likely to report streaming 3+ hours in one sitting. Even more noteworthy is that viewers say they’re purposefully opting towards bigger screens like televisions as a way to denote quality streaming time, as opposed to time spent scrolling on a mobile phone.

* In terms of overall engagement, 90% of viewers say they are most engaged while streaming TV or movies compared to 82% for live events and 79% for social media.

* The desire for intentional engagement also extends to the streaming format that viewers prefer. Ninety percent of viewers surveyed reported that on‑demand streaming (i.e. selecting the content when they want it) captures higher attention than channel‑based streaming (78%) and cable/satellite (71%) (i.e. shows or movies playing at a set time). 

* Sixty-five percent, up 15% year over year, say they feel part of a community based on the movies and shows they watch. Movies (44%) and TV shows (38%) lead fandom categories, with viewers purchasing apparel (50%), subscriptions (37%) and live experiences (30%) to demonstrate their loyalty.

* 97% of respondents interested in watching content released more than 10 years ago. The primary driver is quality, with 63% citing superior style and storytelling as the top reason for revisiting older titles. Twenty-four percent, up 7% year over year, do so to stay engaged in cultural conversations. Seventy-nine percent believe streaming services should remind them of content they used to love, not just promote new releases, and 67%, up 6% year over year, say losing access to comfort content feels like losing part of their safe space.

* While 84% of respondents say it only takes a few minutes to decide what to watch when viewing alone, 58% report it takes at least 10 minutes to land on a choice with a partner. With 43% of viewers primarily streaming alongside a significant other, aligning on entertainment preferences may be more consequential than ever: 61% agree they’re more likely to date someone who shares their taste in movies and TV shows, and nearly a third (30%) say they’ve ended a relationship because their tastes were too different—an 8% increase year over year. Sixty-seven percent are unwilling to share their streaming login unless the relationship is serious.

* Sixty-seven percent agree digital creator content feels more original than most traditional TV and movies, and 63% say watching creator content feels no different than streaming a TV show. Thirty-seven percent want platforms to bring existing creator content onto streaming services, 36% want creators cast in original programming and 33% want ads for creator content featured on platforms. Seventy-eight percent wish they could watch new creator content without paying an additional fee.

* Comedy (70%), action (68%) and crime (66%) remain the most popular genres, while growth opportunities are emerging in independent film (36%), coming-of-age programming (34%), young adult content (31%) and creator-led programming (31%). Demand for originality is rising: 76% would prefer original content over remakes or franchise extensions, up 12% year over year. Seventy-seven percent want diversity and representation when they stream, up 5% year over year and 9% since 2024, and 76% want more programming from independent or smaller creators. For Gen Z, 78% would prefer original content over remakes or franchise extensions and 79% want diversity and representation when they stream. 

* 74% of respondents have (or would) cancel a subscription due to a price increase and 67% have skipped watching a new show or movie once they realized they would have to pay for a subscription streaming service.

And while I have heard this statistic before, it's worth highlighting that according to internal Tubi data, 95% of the viewing on its platform is on-demand, not FAST channels. Pluto TV's FAST viewing percentage has traditionally been a bit higher, but on-demand is a much bigger part of the AVOD business than many people realize.

I haven't seen a lot of great public data about FAST viewership. I know from talking to people in the industry that overall, show-specific FAST channels tend to do better than genre-specific channels. And I know that a remarkable number of FAST channels have almost no audience. But I'd love to see some more specific breakdowns of the FAST business.