• by Wayne Friedman , Staff Writer, 9 hours ago

Globally, streaming content is estimated to grow 6% this year to $101 billion, according to Ampere Analysis -- now comprising around 40% of all global content spend.

The streaming spending growth rate would be slightly higher than the 2% overall global content spend gains, which are expected to rise to $255 billion this year ($251 billion in 2025).

Global content spend includes streaming, legacy pay TV, commercial and public broadcasting companies.

To an extent, the content-spend hikes will also be driven by global sporting events like the World Cup and the Winter Olympics in Milan -- with higher content spend coming for streaming/CTV platforms.

While legacy TV spending is down in the U.S., Ampere Analysis says “broadcasters outside the U.S. show slightly better resilience, maintaining their investment levels through 2026.”

At the same time, these international local broadcasters still “face increasing challenges sustaining content output amid rising costs, ongoing advertising pressure, and shifting post-pandemic viewer behaviour.”

One of the biggest U.S. content spenders -- Walt Disney --  is expected to come in at $24 billion in 2026, with a 50-50 split between sports and entertainment programming, according to the company.

A KPMG September 2025 report shows that Comcast NBCUniversal will spend $37 billion this year with YouTube at $32 billion, while Disney is estimated at $28 billion, Amazon at $20 billion, and Netflix at $17 billion.