SVOD subscriber additions are cooling, and even as the industry leans into engagement metrics, growth still drives valuations.

That's the setup for our conversation with Rahul Patel, Principal Analyst at Ampere Analysis in London, who joins us exclusively on Inside the Stream for the first time to dig into his new report on why global SVOD services might launch free, ad-supported tiers (note, not necessarily a conventional FAST service per se).

Rahul walks us through why streamers have a history of successful "big swings" - original content, password-sharing crackdowns, lower-priced hybrid ad-supported models - and where free tiers fit. He breaks down the motivations and benefits, the risks, and his predictions for which geographies are most likely to see this happen and when.

Colin and I agree free tiers are one of the biggest areas of untapped potential for SVODs, and we expect to see real movement here soon.

Listen on for this engaging interview (32 minutes, 38 seconds)

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There were a lot of new streaming dynamics that unfolded this summer, including YouTube’s growing dominance and budding rivalry with Netflix, two movies from YouTube creators that have generated a combined $900 million+ at the box office, Comcast splitting off NBCUniversal, Fox acquiring Roku, sports migrating to streaming, the ongoing Paramount-WBD saga and much more. 

We discuss the top stories we covered over the summer and what’s on tap for a busy Fall. 

Listen on to learn more (35 minutes, 28 seconds)

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First up this week we talk about new data from Ampere Analysis showing that the growth in SVOD price increases is moderating. But the gap in pricing between ad-free and ad-tiers is getting bigger. Colin and I have a somewhat different take on the consequences of this price gap growth. From my vantage point it seems like the SVOD services are testing the commitment ad-free subscribers have to avoiding ads by paying evermore to do so. But I acknowledge everything has a limit.

We then shift to talking about YouTube. Research from Attest shows that 90% of Americans are now accessing YouTube daily, ahead of streaming and live TV. And time spent with YouTube and other social video tops streaming and live TV. 

YouTube also continues making moves to boost creator monetization and deepen creator loyalty. These include shortening up view time required to monetize a video, embedding Amazon tags to drive affiliate revenue, and potentially paying large sums to top creators to keep their content exclusive to YouTube for defined windows. 

Listen on to learn more (26 minutes, 52 seconds)

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We’re pleased to welcome Antenna’s VP, Strategy Brendan Brady back to Inside the Stream for an exclusive interview about the firm’s new State of Subscriptions research focused on specialty SVOD services. 

Antenna’s research found that specialty SVOD (streaming services targeted to specific audiences and focused on content niches) continue to thrive, with 1.8 million net subscriber additions in Q2 ’26. Specialty SVOD’s growth is outpacing the broader SVOD category. Howdy (owned by Roku) and Wonder Project have emerged as particular specialty SVOD winners.

Amazon Channels plays a dominant role in specialty SVOD, accounting for 67% of net subscriber additions in Q2. As Brendan explains, Amazon Channels is the de facto “front door” to specialty SVOD sign-ups. While Roku and YouTube Primetime Channels have made some inroads, they are still far back. We also discuss whether there’s a play for Disney and Netflix in this space. 

As we move into the final part of 2026, and the all-important holiday season, Brendan says YouTube is worth watching closely, to see if it can leverage its massive user base to become a meaningful player in specialty SVOD distribution.

Listen on to learn more (31 minutes, 38 seconds)

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