The Swedish streaming market is experiencing a “significant upswing”, according to Stockholm-based consultancy Mediavision.
In the third quarter, there were 600,000 new streaming subscriptions compared to the same period last year. The primary driver of this growth is the introduction of more affordable, ad-supported subscription options.
Nearly 600,000 paid streaming subscriptions have been added in the past year, driven by Swedish households’ interest in more affordable, ad-supported options. These lower-cost subscriptions have seen rapid growth as more services introduce ad-based models.
“The new, affordable subscriptions have gained substantial traction in Sweden this fall,” says Marie Nilsson, CEO of Mediavision. “It’s clear that many households find ad-supported, lower-priced options appealing.”
As subscriptions become more affordable, households are increasingly subscribing to multiple services. Today, the average Swedish streaming household holds nearly three subscriptions—an all-time high and a significant increase from the same period last year.
“While ad-supported subscriptions are on the rise, ad-free services still dominate the market,” Nilsson adds. “Currently, 90 percent of all subscriptions are ad-free or what is often referred to as premium. This includes all Netflix subscriptions in Sweden.”
The analysis also reveals that most households adopting ad-supported plans already subscribe to at least one full-price service. Many are supplementing their existing subscriptions with these cheaper, ad-supported options.
“Platforms like Viaplay, Max, Disney, and TV4 Play have recently introduced ad-supported tiers,” Nilsson notes. “We can see that this type of service is popular among consumers and is currently fueling strong growth. With lower prices, households feel they can afford more services. For the market as a whole, this is a positive sign after a relatively slow period over the past year.”
