TiVo Video Trends Report Finds Consumer Video Engagement Reached Peak Levels in 2025 Despite Economic Pressure

TiVo, a wholly owned subsidiary of Xperi Inc., released its Q4 2025 Video Trends Report, which reinforces that video serves as a historically resilient, high-priority category, even as the entertainment landscape grows increasingly fragmented and competitive.

The report finds that even amid economic pressures that could impact discretionary entertainment spending, consumers continue to prioritize home entertainment, watching more video daily than at any time since 2021. In Q4 2025, engagement continued to climb, with households returning to more than 10 video services on average following a brief decline last year, daily viewing surpassing five hours and monthly entertainment spending rising to $161, reflecting year-over-year growth after a post-pandemic dip. The findings reinforce that video serves as a historically resilient, high-priority category, even as the entertainment landscape grows increasingly fragmented and competitive.

As entertainment ecosystems continue to expand, viewing preferences themselves remain relatively stable. About half of respondents prefer streaming services to release an entire season at once, compared to roughly 20% who favor a weekly episode rollout, emphasizing a continued demand for convenience and flexible viewing experiences.

“Consumers are watching more video than ever before, but they’re enjoying that content across an increasingly fragmented mix of platforms and services,” said Geir Skaaden, chief products and services officer at Xperi. “As the entertainment ecosystem continues to expand, helping viewers easily discover and access the content they want has become more important than ever. For advertisers and platforms alike, delivering simple, seamless viewing experiences will be critical to reaching audiences and keeping them engaged.”

As viewing time rises, discovery friction grows

While viewing continues to expand across platforms, content discovery remains a growing challenge. As households manage more services, viewers are navigating a complex content ecosystem, with 40% of consumers checking two to three different apps before deciding what to watch. Additionally, discovery is shifting beyond the platforms themselves with word of mouth (49%) and social media (40%) most often influencing viewers. This reliance on external inputs, combined with increased fragmentation, is making content discovery less efficient and more frustrating for viewers.

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Local content stays on top

Looking at consumed content, local programming accounts for nearly 30% of total viewing time, an increase of approximately five percentage points year-over-year. Sports also remain a key driver of engagement, with nearly 60% of sports viewers relying on pay TV as their primary source. Live and local content continue to anchor viewing behavior in a notably fragmented environment.

“The number of viewing options available to consumers continues to grow, but what is most notable is how audiences are responding to that expansion,” said TVREV’s co-founder and lead analyst, Alan Wolk. “Consumers are becoming more selective about where they spend their time and money, and entertainment services remain a priority. Live sports and local programming serve as important anchors, while the broader market is shifting toward simpler, more value-conscious viewing choices. The industry is entering a phase where effective curation and discovery matter just as much as scale.”

While viewing expands, simplicity becomes essential

The report reflects a video ecosystem defined by expanding choice, stronger engagement and increased complexity. Consumers are watching more content across more services, but they are also placing greater value on simplicity, convenience and efficient discovery. For content providers, distributors and advertisers, the findings underscore a growing opportunity to improve how viewers navigate and connect with content in an increasingly crowded marketplace.

Additional TiVo Video Trends Report highlights:

• Ad-supported growth: More than half of consumers (54%) now use ad-supported subscription tiers, while AVOD/FAST adoption rose to 70% in Q4 2025, up five percentage points year-over-year. AVOD and FAST services now account for 13% of total viewing time.
• FAST audiences are watching more: The average FAST user now watches 7.5 channels, up more than two channels year-over-year. Pluto TV, Tubi, Roku Channel and Amazon Prime Video remain the leading FAST destinations.
• Discovery extends beyond apps: Smart TV home screens are becoming increasingly important gateways for content discovery and advertising, with owners spending 57% of their non-viewing time on the home screen.
• Consumers are prioritizing value: More than 35% of consumers routinely reassess subscriptions and viewing choices to balance cost, access and content availability.
• Fragmentation fuels discovery challenges: As the number of services grows, 40% of consumers report checking multiple apps before deciding what to watch.