Over the past year, major streamers have turned to successful bundling strategies to boost retention and simplify viewer access to a wider range of content. With more services than ever competing for screen time, the question remains: how do audiences navigate what to watch next?

Hub Entertainment Research’s annual Conquering Content study finds that, while viewers love choices, the fragmented landscape continues to challenge viewers and there’s still work to be done to help them find new, relevant programmes to keep them satisfied. Key findings include:

Viewers still seek out new shows

·   60 per cent of ‘new favourite shows’ that viewers discovered this past year are older shows that already have multiple seasons, giving viewers a deep well of episodes to watch.

·   For younger viewers 16-34, they are even more likely (65 per cent) to be watching a favourite show that first came out well before 2025, a testament to the abundance of great older programmes out there.

Finding new shows is still hard, and streamer recommendations fall short.

·   Editorial and algorithmic recommendations coming from streamers are far less effective at helping viewers find new favourites compared to personal recommendations, trailers, clips and traditional ads or promos.

·   In fact, less than half (46 per cent) of viewers say streamer recommendations deliver shows they like, while the other half (54 per cent) say streamer recommendations are simply promoting new shows, regardless of their viewing preferences.

When viewers can’t find something to watch, YouTube absorbs viewers.

·   Nearly 8 out of 10 YouTube users say they frequently or sometimes turn to YouTube when they can’t find something else to watch – even higher (90 per cent) among younger viewers 16-34.

“With so many choices, matching viewers to programmes that fit their taste and mood continues to be one of the toughest tasks for TV providers,” said Jason Platt Zolov, study author and Senior Consultant at Hub. “But viewers love having tons of options and lean into old favourites as a way to keep watching until a new hit breaks through. Streamers that deliver a balance of those old gems with well-timed exclusive new content will breed the strongest loyalties from viewers.”

These findings come from Hub’s annual Conquering Content report, based on a survey conducted among 1,600 US consumers age 16-74. Interviews were completed in October 2025.

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Categories: Consumer Behaviour, Content, Headline, Research, Search/Recommendation

Tags: Hub, search, youtube