Forecast: Streaming bundles to gain traction in 2025
December 10, 2024

Hub Entertainment Research has revealed its 2025 predictions for the media and streaming industry.
The company says that 2024 has been eventful year for the sector with the launch of Prime Video’s ad-supported tier, streaming’s big moves in sports rights, the US Presidential election and more.
Hub’s predictions for 2025:
Long-term subscriptions are in
“When Disney+ launched in 2019, D23 members who signed up for a 3-year plan received a 33 per cent discount. This strategy – bolstered by the pandemic – enabled Disney+ to exceed its initial subscriber goals years ahead of schedule. It also gave the service a runway to focus on building rather than combating churn. Today, churn is the bane of every streaming platform. In 2025, I predict we’ll see more services combat churn through long-term subscription discounts or by offering easy ‘click-to-freeze’ options instead of outright cancellations,” said Jon Giegengack, Principal and Founder of Hub.
News goes extremely online
“Young people are abandoning TV news in favour of social media sources, as evidenced by an election night where most TV networks saw their audience plummet while YouTube thrived. In 2025, I predict news organisations will double down on platforms like YouTube and TikTok, emphasising short-form news content and shifting away from expensive TV personalities who fail to deliver ratings in line with their paychecks.”, said Giegengack.
Skinny streaming bundles from Internet providers will lure single service subscribers
“New streamer bundles from major Internet providers—such as Charter with Disney+ and MAX or Comcast with Netflix and Apple TV+—will gain traction in 2025. These bundles, offering better pricing and content aggregation, will prompt consumers to reconsider the value of subscribing to individual services,” shared Jason Platt Zolov, Senior Consultant at Hub
Disney will forge a deal to sell some of its streaming services through the Amazon Prime Channels platform
“Disney and Netflix remain notable holdouts from selling their services through Amazon Prime Channels. In 2025, I predict Disney will test the waters by offering select services—potentially Hulu content—on Amazon Channels to broaden their reach and increase engagement,” predicts Platt Zolov.
At least one of the second-tier streaming services will no longer exist as a standalone
“In 2025, I predict at least one second-tier streaming service – Max, Paramount+ or Peacock – will cease to exist as a standalone platform. Instead, it may merge with another streamer to form a new service or be acquired by a deep-pocketed suitor and combined with other video offerings,” shared Mark Loughney, Senior Consultant at Hub.
A FAST will acquire a robust package of women’s sports
“A major FAST channel will acquire streaming rights to packages of several major women’s sports including the WNBA,” added Loughney.
The new administration’s lighter regulatory hand will encourage more M&A and discourage checks on anti-competitive behaviour
“Expect major players in TV tech—especially those dominating TV set operating systems—to buy market share. They will squeeze out smaller competitors by offering manufacturers irresistible deals to abandon home-grown solutions,” commented David Tice, Senior Consultant at Hub.
The content exclusivity pendulum swings back
“By the end of 2025, the rise of FASTs will drive increased competition for viewers. Legacy media firms with FASTs will realise (once again) that content exclusivity is a key audience driver and will pull back key library titles for exclusive use on their owned-and-operated FASTs. However, they will continue licensing less critical content to whoever can pay.” concluded Tice with the final prediction.