New subscribers taking Netflix ads tier but Disney gets the growth
October 24, 2024 00.00 Europe/London By Julian Clover


Almost 60% of new subscribers to Netflix in Great Britain signed up to its ad tier in Q3 2023.

The Kantar Entertainment on Demand (EoD) study is in line with the 5.1 million additions between July and September confirmed by the streamer in its financial results published last Thursday.

Although the figures are ahead of forecasts it was still the smallest subscriber gain in more than a year.

Kantar also found that Disney achieved the highest growth of new subscribers in Q3 – retaining the top position for the second quarter in a row – following Emmy award wins for leading shows The Bear and Shogun and a series of strong promotional activity, including deals with UK brands, Lloyd’s Bank and Tesco, and it’s £1.99 for three months offer.

In comparison, Netflix’s absolute subscriber growth remained essentially flat compared to the previous quarter.

AppleTV+ held third place in share of new subscriptions, powered by a strong appetite for series three of Slow Horses. However, The Boys on Prime Video and House of The Dragon on NOW were the most enjoyed shows in Q3. One in three subscribers to Sky-owned NOW did so because of the HBO-produced show.

19.6 million British households have at least one paid video streaming service in their household, up 77,000 vs. Q2 2024

At the free end of the market, Tubi launched its free, ad supported streaming service in the UK on 2 July. While there was no noticeable impact on the subscription services, Kantar found evidence of overlap with established rivals Pluto TV and Freevee.

Both services saw a reduction in the number of active viewers since Tubi’s launch, indicating an intense battle for screentime. 48% of Tubi viewers also use Pluto TV, whilst the crossover with Freevee is 35%.