We tend to measure video services in terms of subscriber numbers but think of audiences in terms of viewers. Netflix has 223 million subscribers worldwide but reaches an estimated 647 million viewers. That is about a third of all users of online video subscription services and almost 15% of all internet users. There will be over 2 billion users of online video subscriptions in 2023.
Research from eMarketer Insider Intelligence forecasts that by 2026 there will be nearly 770 million Netflix users. Its figures try to account for all viewers who watch the service at least once a month. Once they account for large families, group viewing, and password sharing, estimated viewing numbers are nearly three times the number of paid subscriptions.
In 2023, the estimated number of Netflix users will reach 683 million, with 172 million of them in the United States. The estimate for Amazon Prime Video is 157 million viewers watching at least once a month in the United States.
Worldwide, it is estimated that there are 1.93 million individuals who watch video at least once a month through any app or web site that provides paid subscription access. In 2023 it is projected that the number will exceed 2 billion, reaching 2.25 billion in 2026. That will be around 46% of all internet users.
Worldwide Subscription OTT Users Forecast 2023 is published by Insider Intelligence.