Ad-supported subscriptions are now the main driver of growth in the Nordic streaming market. According to Mediavision’s latest Nordic TV & Streaming analysis, four out of five paid streaming subscriptions added over the past year are ad-supported, marking a major shift in the region’s streaming landscape. 

 

The Nordic market now exceeds 27 million paid streaming subscriptions, up by approximately 3.5 million compared to spring 2025. The vast majority of this growth comes from hybrid subscription models (HVOD), combining lower prices with advertising.

 

 

All Nordic countries recorded strong growth in HVOD adoption during spring 2026. Sweden saw the sharpest increase, with household penetration rising by more than 50 percent year-on-year. Sweden has now surpassed both Denmark and Norway in HVOD penetration for the first time, largely driven by Amazon Prime Video introducing advertisement at the end of last year. Meanwhile, Finland lags the rest of the Nordic region, despite annual growth of nearly 40 percent.

 

– Sweden has emerged as the leading HVOD market in the Nordics during the past year. The rapid growth clearly illustrates how quickly consumers are adapting to ad-supported streaming alternatives, says Liljeqvist.

 

The growing adoption of HVOD also signals a broader change in the economics of streaming. As household competition intensifies, lower-priced ad-supported offerings are becoming increasingly important for attracting and retaining subscribers.

 

– The Nordic streaming market is entering a more mature and price-sensitive phase. As competition intensifies, ad-supported tiers are becoming strategically important not only for growth, but also for retention and long-term profitability. Netflix’s planned HVOD launch across Scandinavia in 2027 further confirms that advertising will play an increasingly central role in the streaming economy, Liljeqvist concludes.

 

About Mediavision

 

Mediavision is a Nordic independent analysis and consultancy firm, focused on analysis and strategy within traditional and digital media. 6,700 respondents aged 15–74 are interviewed online biannually in the Nordic region. The data from the survey consists of self-reported values from a nationally representative sample.

 

For more information, contact:

Fredrik Liljeqvist
E-mail: fredrik.liljeqvist@mediavision.se
Tel: +467 27 18 09 03

 

Media

 

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