U.K. App-Based TV Viewing Overtakes Over-the-Air for the First Time

For the first time, the number of U.K. viewers who watch broadcaster television content via apps has overtaken that of those who consume content over-the-air, per TiVo’s 2025 UK Video Trends Report.

Of those surveyed, 52.7 percent reported watching broadcaster TV content via apps, compared with 48.3 percent over-the-air. Last year, 52.9 percent reported watching over-the-air transmissions.

84.5 percent of respondents use at least one SVOD service such as Netflix and Prime Video, with nearly half now subscribing to ad-supported tiers. That being said, 40.6 percent say they are likely to cancel an SVOD service within the next six months, with the most common reason being that they only subscribed to watch a specific program.

AVOD and FAST services continue to ascend, with 52.5 percent of U.K. viewers now using them, a 10 percent year-over-year increase. Smart TV ownership climbed to 80.9 percent, and nearly one in five households plan to purchase a new smart TV before the end of the year.

Almost two-thirds of U.K. viewers use more than one app in a typical viewing session, and 48.6 percent find the process frustrating.

Pay-TV has remained resilient. 25 percent of viewers plan to cut the cord within six months, but 31.3 percent of current pay-TV users have previously unsubscribed and later rejoined. Over half of the respondents who plan to cut the cord expect to replace their pay-TV service with paid streaming services that offer live TV channels over the internet.

“As streaming options multiply, the challenge for viewers isn’t access to content; it’s finding what to watch easily,” said Stéphane David, head of content partnerships and business development for EMEA at TiVo. “Our U.K. research shows audiences are increasingly frustrated with jumping between apps. They’re asking for simplicity, one experience that unites great content with tailored, relevant recommendations. That’s the content-first experience TiVo OS delivers. It brings together streaming, live TV and sport in a single, intuitive interface, powered by AI-driven personalization to help viewers spend less time searching and more time watching what they love.”