Worldwide spending on entertainment content is expected to reach $255 billion in 2026, marking a 2% increase from $245 billion in 2025, according to new research from Ampere Analysis.

This growth is largely fueled by continued investment from global streaming platforms, with Netflix leading the way. Streaming services are steadily increasing their share of total content spending, further widening the gap between themselves and traditional broadcasters. Ongoing challenges in advertising revenue are making it difficult for traditional broadcasters to boost their content investments.

Ampere forecasts that ad-supported and subscription-based streaming services will collectively spend $101 billion on content in 2026, accounting for approximately 40% of the global total. In contrast, traditional broadcast models—including pay-TV, commercial broadcasters, and public broadcasters—are expected to see flat or declining content investment due to persistent advertising pressures and rising production costs.

The divide between global streaming services and local broadcasters continues to grow. While international streaming platforms are scaling up their investments, local broadcasters are facing increasing difficulties in maintaining content output amid higher costs, ongoing advertising challenges, and evolving viewer habits following the pandemic.

In the United States, commercial broadcasters are reducing their content spending as parent studios shift budgets toward their own streaming platforms. Broadcasters outside the U.S. are showing slightly more resilience, maintaining their investment levels through 2026.

Major global sporting events, such as the World Cup and the Winter Olympics, are also expected to boost content spending. While these events have traditionally been dominated by broadcast television, streaming platforms are expanding their sports offerings. Services like Peacock and HBO Max (for the Winter Olympics), as well as Prime Video (with major NBA rights through 2026), are securing significant sports rights.

Peter Ingram, research manager at Ampere Analysis, noted, “Content spend in 2025 aligned with our expectations, with streamers surpassing commercial broadcasters in overall content investment for the first time. This year, we anticipate streamers will continue to build on this momentum, with a projected 6% growth in expenditure. The ongoing shift toward streaming highlights a structural rebalancing in the global TV market, where scale and reach are becoming key competitive advantages.”

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