Video and Streaming Trends in 2025

Consumers today crave tailored recommendations, seamless device switching, and broad content libraries. Most subscribers are more inclined to remain loyal to a streaming service if it consistently provides personalized, relevant content recommendations. However, many viewers remain frustrated with the accuracy of current recommendation engines.

Viewers also expect a wide range of content types—movies, TV series, documentaries, user-generated videos, and short-form clips—to satisfy their diverse tastes. Streaming providers who cultivate robust, diverse catalogs stand a better chance of retaining audiences in a highly fragmented market.

Subscription fatigue has been on the rise. Many viewers are either canceling or downgrading premium plans in favor of more cost-effective, ad-supported models. According to internal Disney+ data, 60% of new subscribers opted for the ad-supported tier, underscoring the growing consumer tolerance for ads in exchange for lower costs—or even free access.

Increasingly, platforms are blending subscription-based (SVoD) and ad-supported (AVoD/FAST) strategies. This hybrid approach offers multiple tiers to accommodate varying budgets and preferences. Disney+, Hulu and HBO are examples of services successfully rolling out ad-supported plans that bolster revenue without alienating subscribers.

Artificial Intelligence is increasingly central in content curation, production, and recommendation. Machine learning algorithms help surface relevant content to individual viewers, while AI-driven editing tools speed up post-production workflows. News curation, live translation, and real-time captioning are also increasingly powered by AI, making content more accessible to global audiences.

However, these innovations raise questions about data security, user consent, and algorithmic fairness. As governments worldwide pass stricter privacy regulations, streaming platforms adopt first-party data strategies and reinforce ethical standards. Initiatives like privacy-safe ecosystems—where user data is not commoditized or shared beyond transparent boundaries—are a growing trend.

With most households subscribing to multiple VOD services, content fragmentation is rife. Navigating multiple platforms, each with its own interface and catalog often frustrates users. Unified search tools and aggregator platforms are emerging as solutions, offering a centralized destination to discover and manage content from different services. Platforms are also overcoming discovery challenges with the application of AI-driven recommendations.

Big tech companies and smart TV manufacturers are experimenting with integrated interfaces that allow users to browse and discover shows across multiple streaming apps without opening each app separately. This shift promotes content discovery and can reduce churn by making users feel they have more control over their libraries.

As the streaming landscape becomes more complex, platforms need infrastructure that can handle rapid scaling, diverse monetization models, and seamless user experiences. There’s an increasing interest in platforms that allow for hybrid architecture for services and customizability. Platforms like Axinom Mosaic exemplify the market’s push toward flexible and modular, cloud-native architectures designed to unify fragmented workflows that cover content management, delivery, and subscriber engagement into one cohesive system.