For the last decade, the streaming industry has been obsessed with subscriber growth.
But in 2026, with ad tiers rising, subscriber growth slowing, and churn becoming structural, a different competitive dynamic is emerging: habit.
In this episode, Dan Fahy speaks with Matt Ross, Chief Analytics Officer at Digital-i, about the company’s new “First View of the Day” metric — the first title watched on a streaming platform after 4am local time — and why that first click may now be one of the most important moments in streaming.
Here's the Digital-i blog post on 'First View':
https://www.digital-i.com/insight-articles/what-the-first-view-of-the-day-tells-us-about-global-streaming-habits
The conversation explores:
- why Netflix’s real advantage may be behavioural, not just content-led
- why frequency matters more than session length
- the surprising strategic importance of kids content and “comfort TV”
- how ad-supported streaming is changing the economics of engagement
- why YouTube increasingly behaves less like a content library and more like a habit platform
- and why broadcasters may be underestimating the strategic value of habitual viewing behaviour
Listen in for a discussion about streaming strategy, engagement, and the shifting battleground for attention.
Featuring:
Matt Ross, Chief Analytics Officer, Digital-i.