Oct 2, 2024

/

Insights

Subscription Streaming Services vs. Free with Ads:

Subscription Streaming Services vs. Free with Ads:

Subscription Streaming Services vs Free with Ads
Subscription Streaming Services vs Free with Ads

How Users Worldwide Choose Between Subscription and Free with Ads Services

Streaming services are increasingly becoming the preferred choice for entertainment worldwide. But when given the option between subscription streaming services and free with ads platforms, how do users decide? BB Media’s latest analysis explores global viewing habits, focusing on how users allocate their time between these two revenue models. 

Regional Differences in Viewing Habits 

Users across UCAN, EMEA, LATAM, and APAC tend to binge-watch online content, with weekends being the most popular time. While 60% of users in all regions watch 1 to 2 episodes on weekdays, this figure rises to 4 or more episodes on weekends. The question remains: do these habits differ between subscription streaming services and free with ads platforms

Subscription Streaming Services vs. Free with Ads 

Globally, users spend more time on subscription streaming services compared to free with ads platforms. Notably, APAC and UCAN users lead in weekly hours spent watching online content across both models. While users in EMEA watch both revenue models at the same daily frequency, other regions showed a slight preference for free with ads, particularly in APAC where it reached 7%.

Which Platforms Dominate by Region? 

In terms of subscription streaming services, Netflix dominates across UCAN, EMEA, LATAM, and APAC (excluding China), with users clocking the most hours on the platform. As for free with ads platforms, regional leaders vary: 

  • UCAN: Tubi leads with 4 hours per week. 

  • EMEA: Pluto TV takes the top spot with users averaging 2 hours per week. 

  • LATAM: Pluto TV leads with 3 hours per week. 

  • APAC: Zee5 is the preferred choice for free with ads, with users spending 3 hours per week on the service. 

Powered by BB Media, a Fabric Data company

Read More Articles

We're constantly pushing the boundaries of what's possible and seeking new ways to improve our services.

Mar 12, 2026

The real-time media engine in an audience-centric future

The New Architecture of Media Operations: introducing the Xytech Product Family

Mar 12, 2026

The New Architecture of Media Operations: Introducing the Xytech Product Family

Today, we’re introducing a new structure for the Xytech product family. The capabilities you depend on remain, and our investment in them is deeper than ever. What’s changed is how we present and organise those capabilities — three focused products, each with a clear purpose and a defined set of problems it solves.

Tom Gennari reflection on becoming part of Fabric Data, one year after BB Media being merged

Mar 5, 2026

From Guide to Fabric

It has been a year since Fabric's acquisition of BB Media. Honestly, the progress we've made — and where we're headed — has exceeded what we thought was realistic when the deal closed.

Last week, our CEO Rob Delf had the privilege of speaking at DEG's EnTech Fest on a panel titled "Adding AI Layers to Modernize Legacy Product Offerings"- and he walked off that stage genuinely energized.

Mar 5, 2026

From Legacy to Leading Edge: How AWS Helped Us Put AI at the Heart of Xytech

The title of our panel was deliberately chosen: Adding AI Layers to Modernize Legacy Product Offerings. There’s a misconception in the market that AI is only for greenfield startups building from scratch. That’s simply not true. In many ways, companies with deep domain expertise and established customer relationships are better positioned to deliver meaningful AI solutions—because they understand the problem space intimately. Xytech has decades of domain knowledge in media operations baked into its architecture. The AWS engagement didn’t just help us bolt AI onto an old product—it helped us unlock the latent value in our platform in ways that solved larger challenges we’d been wrestling with for years. That’s the real magic: AI as an accelerant for domain expertise, not a replacement for it.

We Are Fabric Data: Discover the Xytech Product Family, an advanced suite optimizing media operations, transmission, and facility management.

Feb 27, 2026

8 Game-Changing Solutions Transforming Media Operations

We Are Fabric Data: Discover the Xytech Product Family, an advanced suite optimizing media operations, transmission, and facility management.

Jesse Jackson’s legacy lives across decades of documentary film and television, from Nationtime (1972) and Wattstax (1973) to Summer of Soul (2021). His voice shaped political activism in the television age and continues to influence cultural narratives today.

Feb 26, 2026

Black History Month in Film: Honoring Jesse Jackson and His Enduring Media Legacy

As Black History Month invites reflection, film and television continue to preserve the legacy of Jesse Jackson—civil rights leader, presidential candidate, and media-era activist. From Nationtime and Wattstax to Summer of Soul, his voice remains embedded in documentary storytelling that shaped modern political and cultural discourse. Discover where to stream these essential titles—and why structured metadata is critical to ensuring future generations can find them.

Ready to take your data to the next level?

Copyright © 2026 Fabric. All Rights Reserved

Ready to take your data to the next level?

Copyright © 2026 Fabric. All Rights Reserved

Ready to take your data to the next level?

Copyright © 2025 Fabric. All Rights Reserved

Ready to take your data to the next level?

Copyright © 2025 Fabric. All Rights Reserved