UK viewers are spending more time and money on video, but getting to something they want to watch isn’t necessarily getting easier.
More services, apps and content are competing for attention, while viewing is spreading across platforms, screens and environments. Ad-supported viewing is now a significant part of the streaming mix, and the way audiences use the TV itself continues to change.
The Q2 2026 TiVo Video Trends Report: United Kingdom looks at the behaviours behind these shifts and how they are reshaping discovery, audience engagement and advertising opportunities across the UK video market.
More Time And Money Are Going Into Video
UK audiences continue to put significant time and money into video. Respondents now spend an average of £82.38 per month, an 11% increase from £73.99 in 2025, while daily video consumption has reached an average of 4.62 hours, compared with 4.5 hours last year.
That appetite remains strong despite continued pressure on household budgets. Two-thirds of respondents consider video services a moderate-to-high priority, and average monthly spending on SVOD subscriptions has climbed 24% to £34.83.
But more investment doesn’t automatically mean more engagement. With viewers spreading their time across more content and services, the real challenge is keeping their attention and giving them enough value to keep coming back
More Choice Is Making Discovery Harder
More choice should make it easier to find something worth watching. Instead, viewers are often searching across multiple apps before they get there.
Almost half (48.5%) of UK respondents say they are annoyed by having to browse multiple apps to find something to watch. And the behaviour behind that frustration is growing: 77.2% use multiple apps during a typical viewing session, up from 64.2% in 2025. Viewers also stop and choose something else 22.3% of the time, suggesting discovery challenges continue even after viewing has started.
In England, viewers now use an average of 8.64 video sources, compared with 7.67 in 2025 and 6.48 in 2024. Making content easier to find can shorten the route from searching to watching and help viewers get more from the services they already use.
As viewing becomes more fragmented, content discovery is becoming an increasingly important moment for both audiences and advertisers. With viewers navigating multiple apps and services, the TV home screen offers brands an opportunity to connect with audiences at the point of discovery, before they decide what to watch.
“The goal isn’t a smarter way to browse. It’s needing to browse less. If personalisation is doing its job, viewers spend less time searching and more time watching, and that’s the measure that matters.”
Patrick Byrden, VP Business Development & Strategy, TiVo
Ad-Supported Viewing Is Firmly Established
For many viewers, the decision is no longer simply whether to pay for a service. Ad-supported options are becoming part of how audiences put together their streaming mix.
More than half (57.2%) of SVOD viewers now use ad-supported subscription tiers. Meanwhile, 57.6% of all respondents use free AVOD/FAST services, up from 52.5% in 2025, with AVOD/FAST users regularly watching an average of 7.1 channels.
Tolerance of advertising also remains resilient, with 77.2% of respondents saying they are at least ad-tolerant, up slightly from around 75% in previous years.
Paid and ad-supported viewing are increasingly sitting side by side. Viewers gain more flexibility around content and cost, while advertisers gain more opportunities to reach streaming audiences within the services they choose to watch.
The Smart TV Is Firmly Established In UK Homes
Nearly 80% of respondents own a smart TV and 17.2% expect to purchase a new one before the end of the year. But ownership is only part of the story. How people use the TV is changing too.
More than 57% of time spent watching broadcaster television is now through an app, up from 52% in 2025, while over-the-air viewing has fallen to 43%. The share of broadcast viewing happening on TV screens has also declined from 64.2% to 60.8%, while smartphone viewing has increased from 13.6% to 16.6%.
That puts apps, services and content in direct competition for attention on the TV screen. What viewers see first, what gets recommended and how easily they can find something relevant can all influence what gets watched.
“The home screen is where viewers decide what to watch and which service to open. That moment of decision carries a lot of weight, and it only stays valuable if the experience feels like help rather than clutter.”
Dan Conneally, VP, UK Agency Solutions, TiVo Ads
Viewing Continues Beyond The Living Room
Video is also becoming less tied to a particular screen or setting. 39.7% of UK respondents use video services while in the car, up from 34.2% in 2025 and 28.9% in 2023.
The growth of in-car viewing is another sign that entertainment is moving with the audience. Viewing habits formed in the living room are extending into other parts of the day, across more screens and environments.
What These Shifts Tell Us About The UK Video Market
Taken together, the findings reveal an interesting tension. UK audiences clearly value video, yet navigating all that entertainment is getting more complicated.
More spending, more services and more screens also mean greater competition for attention. The challenge is turning that abundance into a viewing experience that delivers greater value for audiences.
“There’s a clear opportunity for the industry to give back to the viewer by simplifying the experience, bringing content together, making discovery more intuitive and helping viewers spend less time searching and more time enjoying more of the content they love.”
Stéphane David, Head of Content Partnerships and Business Development for EMEA at TiVo
For advertisers, understanding how viewing behaviour is evolving can help them reach audiences more effectively. From home-screen discovery to ad-supported streaming and emerging connected environments, the UK video landscape is creating new opportunities to engage viewers throughout their entertainment journey.
The Q2 2026 TiVo Video Trends Report: United Kingdom digs deeper into the behaviours behind these changes, from viewing and spending habits to content discovery, ad-supported streaming and connected entertainment.
Access the full report for a closer look at how UK viewing behaviour is changing.
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