Data: UK embracing ad-supported streaming in record numbers
October 7, 2026



With streaming now the default way most of the UK watches television, ad-supported streaming has overtaken every other form of TV viewing, according to Roku’s first VOD Evolution study of UK viewing habits.

Of the 26 hours a week UK streamers spend watching television, 14 hours are now spent on ad-supported streaming, through broadcaster apps (BVoD) such as ITVX, ad-supported SVoD such as Disney+ Standard with Ads, or FAST channels. Across all UK TV viewing, ad-supported streaming now accounts for 52 per cent of the total — more than any other form of television.


Nine-in-ten viewers now watch an ad-supported streaming service at least once a month, made up of 62 per cent who use BVoD apps, 77 per cent who use ad-supported SVoD tiers, and 28 per cent who use AVoD/FAST services.

A third of streamers can only be reached through streaming

The research points to a fast-growing audience that traditional TV advertising cannot reach at all. A third (32 per cent) now watch nothing but streaming services, meaning they have no aerial or satellite connection through which to be served a linear TV ad.

This shift has been driven by rapid adoption of connected devices. Some 93 per cent of streamers now own a smart TV or streaming stick, giving advertisers a direct route to an audience that linear TV can no longer reach on its own.

Ad-supported streaming is driving real action

Beyond reach, the study points to ad-supported streaming’s strength as a performance channel. Two in three streamers (67 per cent) say they have taken a measurable action after seeing a TV ad, such as scanning a QR code, searching for more information, adding an item to their basket, or making a purchase, demonstrating that ad-supported streaming is moving beyond awareness into conversion.

Finding content

The study also shows that, on average, viewers spend 12 minutes finding something to watch. Additionally, 70 per cent of UK streamers use home screen features to find content.
“Ad-supported streaming is no longer the incremental line at the bottom of a TV plan. For a third of UK streamers, it’s the only way to reach them at all. With 90 per cent now watching ad-supported content every month, and two in three taking action after seeing an ad, this is where the TV audience and TV performance now both live,” commented Mike Shaw, Director of EMEA Ad Sales at Roku.