U.S. Streaming Spend Surges

In the second quarter of this year, U.S. consumers shelled out $6.3 billion on streaming services, a 17 percent gain, according to DEG: The Digital Entertainment Group.

According to DEG’s Mid-Year 2021 Home Entertainment Report, consumers spent a total of $15.7 billion on movies and television shows consumed at home and on the go in the first six months of 2021, a 5-percent increase from the period a year ago. Second-quarter growth year-over-year was 1 percent to $7.9 billion.

Per DEG, 2021 growth was limited by the lack of new theatrical releases, usually a key driver of home-entertainment spend. Stacked up against 2019 numbers, however, Q2 2021 growth was up 35 percent and the first half was up 32 percent.

The streaming spend gains—21 percent in the first half to $12.2 billion—were driven by the proliferation of new services and the availability of major theatrical titles on OTT platforms.