At a time when streaming leaders are navigating economic pressures, shifting ad markets, and heightened cybersecurity risks, a report sheds light on how the industry’s decision-makers are prioritising growth, resilience and efficiency in 2025.

Launched by the team behind OTT Question Time Live, the inaugural OTT Leaders’ Sentiment Survey Report captures the views of senior executives across broadcasters, streamers, and technology providers. Conducted in April 2025, the survey gathered anonymous insights from 48 hand-picked leaders (58 per cent of whom have been working in the industry for over 15 years) on their organisations, the broader market, and what lies ahead.

“The most striking thing about our OTT Question Time Live conferences is how much appetite there is for sharing knowledge, insights, and hard-won lessons — even, perhaps especially, among senior leaders,” commented Kauser Kanji, founder of VOD Professional and organiser of OTTQTL. “This survey was designed to harness that spirit, creating a structured way to capture the thinking of decision-makers at a pivotal moment for streaming.”

The findings reveal a sector at another inflection point: mature in some areas, still evolving in others, and grappling with pressures that vary by market position. While some respondents expressed cautious optimism, others were bracing for consolidation. Across the board, leaders are focused on profitability, resilience, and sharpening their competitive edge.

Key findings from the report include:

· 60 per cent of respondents expect to hit revenue targets this year but 25 per cent expect to fall short.

· Contrary to what we might have read about industry sentiment, only 21 per cent of respondents said their company’s main focus this year was on profit (vs 38 per cent aimed at growth and 42 per cent favouring a mixed approach).

· Ad revenue volatility is seen as the biggest threat to sustainable growth, even as increasing ad loads or introducing dynamic pricing is viewed as the second biggest revenue opportunity.

· AVoD is regarded as the pricing model most likely to succeed in the next year.

· 80 per cent of content budgets are either holding steady or moderately increasing (though this was before the announcement by President Trump of proposed 100 per cent tariffs on movies “produced in foreign lands”).

· Discovery and recommendations are still viewed as the biggest UX challenge.

· 31 per cent of companies are open to M&A or are actively seeking opportunities.

· Only 60 per cent have business continuity plans in place to address cybersecurity hacks.

· 41 per cent report a moderate increase in budgets for technology upgrades.

· Two-thirds of leaders say their company’s operations are only moderately efficient.

· Almost all are concerned about economic pressures affecting streaming revenue.

· And a third expect AI to lead to minor reductions in headcount over the next 12 months.

“For anyone working in commercial, content, tech, product, or strategy roles, this report provides valuable insight into how peers and competitors are thinking about growth, efficiency, and the unknowns ahead,” added Kanji. “It’s designed to spark meaningful conversations and help leaders refine their strategies for 2025.”

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