Insights

Streaming has been looking more like traditional TV - are more procedurals on the horizon?

20 January, 2025

Image: The Pitt, Max

In 2024 the streaming industry continued to evolve in ways that made it look more like the traditional TV ecosystem.  Over the past year we have seen a move towards bundling that is reminiscent of the cable era’s bloated bundles.  The bundled options available to consumers now span across competing entertainment companies.

The introduction of ad tiers for streamers is another notable shift in this direction.  The expansion of ad-supported options is arguably pro-consumer (ads for those who would like to pay less but not for those willing to pay more); definitely a positive for the financials of these companies (for example, Prime Video saw a jump in its ARPU following the introduction of an ad-tier by our estimates); and most certainly a move toward what an earlier era of TV looked like.

Streamers continued to embrace the benefits of the weekly episode release model over the all-at-once binge release.  There has been an increase in themed streaming channels that essentially recreate the linear viewing experience where viewers don’t select individual titles but are served up a stream of curated content curated.  Disney explained how some consumers would rather not make on-demand content selections in the company’s explanation of Streams on Disney+.

In addition to these structural changes to streaming business models we have also seen a resurgence in types of content that harken back to the traditional era of TV.  Reboots of linear TV classics like “Frasier” have extended these character’s stories into the streaming era while remakes like “Bel-Air” update familiar IP for a new age.  Traditional TV formats on streaming, like sitcoms and procedurals, have been overperforming on platforms in terms of the amount of revenue they bring in.

procedurals_catalog_vs_revenue_share_chart.png

Procedural content delivers a greater share of streaming revenue via subscriber acquisition and retention than the genre’s share of catalog across platforms.  In fact on the platforms where the genre makes up a significant share of the catalog we estimate that it accounts for more than twice the share of streaming revenue.

Paramount+ is the procedural king.  These shows account for a little over 4% of series on the platform but were responsible for over 10% of the platform’s revenue attributable to shows.  Netflix lags these other platforms in terms of the amount of procedural series it has available to stream (less than 1% of its TV catalog).  However, these titles overdeliver in terms of revenue for the streamer.  “Suits” is the best example of the streamer being able to breathe new life into linear procedurals and capitalize on the attention.

Max lags other platforms in terms of the share of its catalog for the procedural genre and the return it sees on this investment.  The recent premiere of “The Pitt,” a Max original medical procedural, may be a sign that the streamer is reconsidering and looking to cash in on this genre like other platforms.



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