Women’s Sports Gain Momentum in Europe

According to the latest Entertainment on Demand (EoD) report by Worldpanel by Numerator, viewership of women’s sports continues to rise among European audiences from July to September 2025. In Great Britain, significant victories in women’s UEFA European Cup and Rugby World Cup led to 60% of sports viewers engaging with women’s games. France exhibited even higher engagement, with 64% of viewers watching women’s sports.

Streaming Services and Viewer Preferences

The recent launch of Ligue1+, a new streaming service in France focusing on top-flight football, resulted in nearly half of all new subscriptions in Q3. In comparison, only 39% of sports viewers in the United States followed women’s sports during the same period.

Globally, ad-supported subscription tiers have seen notable growth, accounting for 31% of new subscriptions, up from 30% a year prior. While the U.S. market saw flat growth, countries such as Great Britain, Germany, Spain, and Australia reported significant increases.

Major Players in the Streaming Landscape

Prime Video remained the leader in new paid streaming sign-ups globally in Q3 2025, attracting over 13% of new subscribers. Netflix and Paramount+ closely followed, each securing just below 13% of new subscriptions. Netflix also claimed the top two most-watched streaming shows during this quarter, with the second season of Wednesday leading both in viewership and enjoyment, alongside the third season of Squid Game.

Conversely, Prime Video reached a younger female demographic with titles like The Summer I Turned Pretty. Netflix’s share of new subscribers rose to 13%, recovering from 10% last year, while Prime Video’s share declined to 13% from 15% the previous year.

Challenges for Prime Video’s Ad-Tier Experience

Despite growth in subscription tiers, analysis from Worldpanel by Numerator illustrates that Prime Video struggles in ad experience metrics, trailing behind competitors such as Warner Bros Discovery, Netflix, and Disney+. The platform faced a notable 17% deficit in ad relevance and variation and a 13% shortfall in ad volume satisfaction. This dissatisfaction correlates with a rise in Prime Video’s churn rate, increasing from 5.7% to 6.5% compared to last year.

“As the service provider with the largest number of ad-supported subscribers, the ad experience is particularly important for Prime Video. The platform’s decision to auto-enroll ad-free customers into its ad-supported tier unless they opt out has made ad quality more critical than ever,” commented Dominic Sunnebo, Commercial Director at Worldpanel by Numerator.

Global Insights on Streaming Behavior

More insights from Worldpanel by Numerator for Q3 2025 reveal notable trends in various markets:

• In Germany, RTL+ experienced the most significant subscriber growth after acquiring Sky Germany.
• Ligue1+ captured 47% of all new paid sign-ups in France.
• DAZN increased its share to 12% of new subscriptions in Spain, significantly growing from 6% last year, bolstered by football and NFL coverage.
• Globally, 48% of streaming households engaged regularly with sports, with cricket, motorsport, and football seeing the most substantial annual audience growth.
• HBO Max reported rapid growth in Australia, driven by shows like The Last of Us.
• Tubi saw increased growth in both the UK and US, stepping up competitive pressure against Pluto TV and Roku.