New research by NPAW highlights improvements in video-on-demand (VoD) and traditional television (linear TV) quality on a global scale

New research by NPAW highlights improvements in video-on-demand (VoD) and traditional television (linear TV) quality on a global scale

NPAW Reveals Global Streaming Quality Improvements in H1 2025

In the first half of 2025, the global streaming industry has witnessed significant improvements in quality across both Video on Demand (VoD) and linear TV, according to NPAW's latest Video Streaming Industry Report. However, the report also highlights some declines in user engagement metrics.

Quality Gains Across the Globe

The improvements in quality are attributed to continued investments from broadcasters and Over-The-Top (OTT) services. Globally, buffer ratios, join times, and average bitrates have seen improvements. For VoD, the average bitrate increased by 9%, join times dropped by 13%, and buffer ratios improved by 6%.

Latin America (LATAM) showed standout performance, cutting buffering by 33% and improving all quality KPIs. North America also saw gains across metrics.

Declining Global VoD Engagement

Despite these quality improvements, global VoD engagement has declined. Average daily playtime per user fell 10% year-on-year to 45 minutes, and titles per user per day decreased 7% to 2.5. The Pacific region experienced the steepest engagement drops, with playtime down 25% and titles per user down 28%.

Linear TV Engagement and Join Times

Linear TV join times improved, falling by 16% year-on-year. Europe and the Middle East showed the strongest linear TV engagement, with European users watching over 60 minutes per day on average.

Device Usage Remains Consistent

TVs and set-top boxes continue to dominate the streaming landscape, accounting for more than 87% of viewership. TVs accounted for 60% of VoD viewing time, while tablets showed sharp declines in streaming performance metrics.

NPAW's CEO Comments

Commenting on the findings, NPAW's CEO, Per Ferran G. Villaro, stated that the first half of 2025 showed remarkable improvements in buffer ratio quality, average bitrate, and join times globally. He also noted that the findings indicate ongoing industry efforts to enhance streaming quality but also reveal challenges in maintaining or growing viewer engagement in certain regions and devices.

The full report is available for download at npaw.com. The report suggests that the streaming industry is making strides in improving quality, but there are still challenges to be addressed in maintaining and growing viewer engagement.

In the realm of finance, these quality improvements in the global streaming industry, as highlighted by NPAW's Video Streaming Industry Report, can be attributed to significant investments from broadcasters and Over-The-Top (OTT) services, demonstrating the strategic importance of technology in this sector.

Despite the technical advancements, the report reveals a decline in global VoD engagement, with average daily playtime per user falling and titles per user per day decreasing, indicating a need for fresh technology-driven strategies to boost user engagement.

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