Samba TV has released its State of Streaming: UK Q4 2025 report. The data spotlights a maturing UK streaming market defined by genre loyalty and careful content curation, both from platforms and from budget-conscious households.

Over half of UK households have fewer than three streaming subscriptions, according to the report. UK households demonstrate selective subscription behaviour, with platform portfolios skewing smaller than global patterns. The largest segment (23 per cent) subscribes to only one service, while 19 per cent have two and 16 per cent have three.

This conservative approach reflects careful platform selection, likely influenced by cost considerations and a focus on content over volume. Platforms must deliver compelling, differentiated value to justify inclusion in limited subscription portfolios, making content quality and strategic pricing essential, suggests Samba TV.

Further report highlight include:

Netflix wins through volume, competitors bet on premium content

Netflix dominates streaming originals, producing 59 per cent of the top 100 shows, followed by Prime Video at 17 per cent and NOW at 8 per cent. Two distinct competitive strategies emerge: Netflix wins through volume and content diversity that serves varied audience segments, while platforms like NOW and Apple TV compete through selective, quality programming that builds premium and loyal, niche audiences. The  platforms under the most competitive pressure often fall in the middle, producing less content than Netflix while not benefiting from the premium positioning of quality-focused competitors.

Netflix claims nine of the 10 top streaming movie positions in 2025 (to date), including the likes of The Thursday Murder Club and Happy Gilmore 2. Prime Video’s The Accountant 2 represents the sole non-Netflix entry. This concentration demonstrates Netflix’s comprehensive movie strategy success of combining original productions with licensed content to create consistent movie availability. The Thursday Murder Club‘s top position suggests UK audiences respond highly to relevant local content that reflects British culture, even within Netflix’s global catalogue.

Drama and crime are top genres among hit streaming shows

Drama content represents 57 per cent of the top UK shows, followed by crime (30 per cent), and thriller (26 per cent). UK audiences demonstrate a strong appetite for suspenseful, plot-driven storytelling over lighter formats.

This genre distribution creates optimal conditions for advertiser engagement, as viewers consume drama and crime content in focused, attentive states. Content investment and advertising strategy should prioritise these high-engagement, narrative-driven formats that command sustained audience attention.

Docuseries and suspenseful shows drive binge behaviour

Binge rates vary significantly, with docuseries leading at 44 per cent, followed by thriller (41 per cent), and crime (40 per cent). Individual shows like Caught and Missing You on Netflix achieved 57 per cent and 53 per cent binge rates, respectively. These patterns indicate that genres that feature particularly suspenseful or serialised storytelling drive binge behaviour. Content with cliffhangers and unresolved narratives generate intense and sustained engagement, while episodic formats allow more sporadic viewing patterns

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Categories: Articles, Consumer Behaviour, Content, Premium, Research, VOD

Tags: Apple TV, netflix, Prime Video, Samba TV