Ad-supported tiers to hit 54% of North American OTT revenue in 2026: Ampere
Advertising alone is set to bring in more than $18 billion (€15.6bn) in North America this year, pushing ad-supported subscription tiers to 54% of total OTT subscription revenue in the region by the end of 2026, according to Ampere Analysis. That marks the first time advertising has topped one-fifth of subscription OTT revenue in the market. North America generates close to 60% of global ad-supported subscription OTT revenue, aided by stronger ARPUs, higher CPMs and a more mature connected TV advertising environment than other regions. Prime Video leads the segment, with revenue forecast to exceed $14 billion in 2026, the result of Amazon's 2023 decision to default subscribers into an ad-supported plan unless they pay extra to remove ads. Netflix and Disney+ instead let subscribers opt into a cheaper, lower-ad tier. Procter & Gamble, Amazon and Walmart accounted for 22% of US subscription OTT ad impressions so far this year, and the six largest global streamers doubled their first-run and renewal orders for unscripted content in North America between 2020 and 2025. "The challenge now is to increase monetisation without compromising the premium viewing experience that these streamers have spent years cultivating," said Rory Gooderick, Research Manager at Ampere Analysis.
Media plans built around premium ad-free streaming now compete with a market where the ad-supported tier functions as the default revenue engine across Prime Video, Netflix and Disney+ alike. Buyers negotiating CTV inventory face impression pools increasingly concentrated in a handful of categories, with Procter & Gamble, Amazon and Walmart alone accounting for almost a quarter of US subscription OTT ad impressions. Streamers are also commissioning more unscripted, habit-forming content to hold ad-supported audiences, which shifts where reach concentrates across a media plan. Agencies benchmarking CPMs and audience delivery across platforms should expect a North American market that moves faster on ad monetisation than any other region.