• by Karlene Lukovitz  @KLmarketdaily, May 11, 2021

SVOD subscriptions for 138 countries will increase by 591 million — or 65% — between 2020 and 2026 to reach 1.495 billion, according to Digital TV Research’s latest Global SVOD Forecast.

The analysis estimates that the average SVOD subscriber will pay for 2.14 SVOD subscriptions by 2026 — up from 1.74 in 2020. (Gross subscriptions growth is larger than growth in SVOD subscribers, who are defined as consumers paying for at least one SVOD subscription.)

Subscription growth peaked last year, with the addition of 201 million subscriptions, according to the report. The total is forecast to cross the 1 billion mark this year.

“There will be 700 million SVOD subscribers by 2026 — up by 35% from 518 million at year-end 2020,” reports Simon Murray, principal analyst at Digital TV Research. The 2026 total represents 39% of TV households, up from 30%in 2020, he says.

The U.S. is forecast to overtake China as the world’s SVOD subscription leader in 2021. Together, the two countries will account for 48% of the global total by 2026 — down from 59% in 2020, reflecting faster growth in other world regions.

SVOD subscriptions in India will nearly triple between 2020 and 2026 to 115 million — to represent 10% of the world’s total — by these estimates.