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.