UK Video Streaming Market Shows Signs of Recovery in Last Quarter of 2022

Paramount CEO and President of Paramount Streaming and Co-Founder and CEO of Pluto TV Tom Ryan speaks during an LG press event at CES 2023 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center on January 04, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Getty Images via AFP)
Paramount CEO and President of Paramount Streaming and Co-Founder and CEO of Pluto TV Tom Ryan speaks during an LG press event at CES 2023 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center on January 04, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Getty Images via AFP)
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UK Video Streaming Market Shows Signs of Recovery in Last Quarter of 2022

Paramount CEO and President of Paramount Streaming and Co-Founder and CEO of Pluto TV Tom Ryan speaks during an LG press event at CES 2023 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center on January 04, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Getty Images via AFP)
Paramount CEO and President of Paramount Streaming and Co-Founder and CEO of Pluto TV Tom Ryan speaks during an LG press event at CES 2023 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center on January 04, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Getty Images via AFP)

The UK video streaming market showed a tentative recovery in the final quarter of 2022, with subscriber numbers edging higher after a sharp decline earlier in the year when cash-strapped households sought savings, industry data showed on Monday.

Market researcher Kantar said that between October and December the number of UK homes that had at least one paid-for video streaming service rose by 55,000 to 16.24 million, representing 56% of households.

The gains were driven mainly by Prime Video, AppleTV+ and Paramount+, rather than Netflix.

Kantar said 5% of British households took out a new streaming subscription during the final quarter of the year.

The recovery followed a period of 12 months when one million British households dropped out of the subscription video-on-demand market, as they prioritized spending on essentials, such as food and energy.

“Prime Video had a strong final quarter of the year, with an increasing number of households taking out Prime memberships and using the Prime delivery service in the run-up to the Christmas holidays," Dominic Sunnebo, global insight director, Kantar, Worldpanel Division, said.

However, the recovery may be short lived, Kantar added.

The proportion of consumers planning to cancel one or more video-on-demand services in the next quarter rose to 12% versus 10% in the third quarter of 2022, it said, indicating that short-term subscribers looking to cover the festive period could soon cut back.

Getting an accurate gauge of the UK economy is currently proving tricky.

Official UK retail sales data showed inflation-pinched consumers cut their shopping by the most in the key month of December in at least 25 years and consumer confidence levels are at historic lows.

However, several major British retailers, including Tesco , Sainsbury's and Marks & Spencer, reported better-than-expected Christmas sales, while airlines have reported strong bookings into summer.

Also, unemployment is close to its lowest in almost 50 years.



International K-Pop Fans Thrill to Prospect of BTS Reunion 

Fans of K-pop band BTS wait for photos near an ARMY Bomb during the annual 2025 BTS Festa celebrating the BTS' debut anniversary in Goyang, South Korea, Friday, June 13, 2025. (AP)
Fans of K-pop band BTS wait for photos near an ARMY Bomb during the annual 2025 BTS Festa celebrating the BTS' debut anniversary in Goyang, South Korea, Friday, June 13, 2025. (AP)
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International K-Pop Fans Thrill to Prospect of BTS Reunion 

Fans of K-pop band BTS wait for photos near an ARMY Bomb during the annual 2025 BTS Festa celebrating the BTS' debut anniversary in Goyang, South Korea, Friday, June 13, 2025. (AP)
Fans of K-pop band BTS wait for photos near an ARMY Bomb during the annual 2025 BTS Festa celebrating the BTS' debut anniversary in Goyang, South Korea, Friday, June 13, 2025. (AP)

Thousands of international fans of K-pop megastars BTS gathered on Friday in the suburbs of Seoul amid mounting excitement over an expected reunion of the group after its members complete mandatory service in the South Korean military.

This year's BTS Festa marks the 12th anniversary of the group, which last performed together in 2022 and has not toured since 2019 because of the global pandemic and subsequent military service obligations of its members.

It was unclear if any of the recently discharged performers would appear at the festival organized by the group's management agency, HYBE.

But that did not dampen the enthusiasm of fans, some of whom flew in from around the world hoping to spot some of the superstars at the gathering or at a pair of solo concerts by BTS rapper J-Hope as he wraps up his "Hope on the Stage" world tour.

"I want to enjoy everything because there are many things to do here and ... I hope to see the guys maybe," said Karla Linan Saucede, 33, who travelled from Mexico with her sister and friends.

"It's gone past excitement and into almost being numb," said Ayla O'Ryan, 45, from Scotland, adding that she planned a visit this month to practice Korean in the capital so that she could attend.

BTS' members Jimin and Jungkook discharged from the South Korean military on Wednesday, become the fifth and sixth to complete their service. Members RM and V were discharged on Tuesday and the last to finish will be Suga on June 21.

While details of a reunion have not been released, the group is expected to hold its largest ever world tour in 2026, says NH Securities, one of South Korea's largest investment firms.

Shares in HYBE jumped 11.3% in June as brokerages raised their sales estimates and target price for the agency ahead of the group's comeback.