Welcome to Roku Rewind 2025, where we share the biggest streaming movies, Gen Z favorites, binge-watching statistics and more. Plus, we offer insights marketers can apply to their own CTV planning.
2025 gave us a lot to talk about: Travis and Taylor’s engagement, Kendrick Lamar’s halftime show, SNL's 50th season. The list goes on. As the year played out on screens big and small, Roku's 90 million streaming households streamed, searched, and binged in ways that reveal a lot about how audiences behave.
Below is a data-backed breakdown of the biggest streaming trends of 2025, along with what they mean for viewers and marketers.
Ready? Let’s rewind.
1. What were the top TV moments of 2025?
From milestone anniversaries to breakout reality series, 2025 proved that longtime favorites and new obsessions can trend side by side.
- SNL 50 was a cultural moment. Searches for the milestone 50th Season of NBC's Saturday Night Live peaked around its anniversary special in February, with top-searched episodes hosted by Ariana Grande, Jean Smart, and Shane Gillis.
- Awards still matter. After the Emmys, searches for award winners like The Studio, Severance, and Adolescence more than doubled, showing how prestige TV on streaming continues to attract big audiences.
- Love Island USA became a surprise juggernaut. Peacock’s Love Island USA was the #1 searched show on Roku this summer, with searches growing +180% vs the prior season.
Marketer takeaway: Big cultural moments drive reliable engagement. Align your campaigns with TV events people obsess over, and you’ll catch audiences at the height of attention.
2. What movie genres performed best on streaming this year?
Movies told a different story in 2025. Originality, real-world news, and the enduring draw of big personalities shaped the year that was.
- Original horror comes roaring back. Original horror surged in 2025, led by the breakout film Sinners, which generated more than twice the search volume of the next highest horror title. The genre grew 20% year over year, and this wasn’t based on recycled horror films struggling to stand out in a sea of sequels. It was thanks to an original title that’s even gained Oscar buzz.
- New Pope drives a surge for Conclave. In the days after the election of Pope Leo XIV, Chicago-area Roku homes were +42% more likely than the rest of the country to search for Focus Features’ Conclave. It’s a perfect example of how real-world events influence streaming behaviors. But it comes as no surprise for two reasons: Chicago is his hometown, and electing the pope is a complicated process that is brilliantly depicted in Conclave.
- Star power still sells. Adam Sandler and Ariana Grande topped Roku’s most-searched actor lists thanks to megahits like Happy Gilmore 2 and Wicked.
Marketer takeaway: Streaming behaviors respond to cultural cues. Advertisers who react quickly or plan for predictable moments can meet audiences while their curiosity (and watch time) is peaking.
3. Which sports drove streaming trends in 2025?
Sports streaming wasn’t just big in 2025 — it was diverse, surprising, and full of crossover behavior.
- Scripted Comedy → live sports? Absolutely. Fans of Apple TV’s golf comedy Stick didn’t just laugh, they streamed real golf. But all golf titles are not equal when it comes to driving sports viewing. Stick viewers were 2.8x more likely than Happy Gilmore 2 to search for The Masters, a top golf streaming event.
- NFL and MLB ruled the Sports Zone. NFL teams were the most favorited in 24 states on the Roku Sports Zone, with MLB loyalty dominating the coasts and across the Great Lakes.
- Pro wrestling was a breakout star. Roku searches grew +275%, outpacing auto racing (+75%) and MMA (+69%) as the fastest-growing sports on the platform.
Marketer takeaway: Sports viewers don’t always start in sports environments. Comedy, movies, and social buzz often funnel fans to live games, giving marketers more entry points to reach passionate audiences.
4. What did Gen Z stream in 2025?
Young adults have an outsized appetite for animation.
- Gen Z adults powered an animation renaissance. Nearly two in three Roku searches from Gen Z were for animated titles — and no, these weren’t kids’ shows. The oldest Gen Z’ers are 28 years old. Think anime, adult animation, and animated films with cult-like followings.
Marketer takeaway: If Gen Z is an audience priority, animation is essential. Brands targeting younger adults should consider placements near animated content and fan-driven franchises.
5. What CTV viewing trends defined 2025?
Roku viewing data revealed patterns that defy assumptions about how Americans stream.
- Streaming hotbeds. In 2025, Mississippi streamed more hours per capita than any other state, followed by Alabama, Kentucky, Arkansas, and West Virginia.
- Peak binge season. January was the binge-iest month, with more than one in three sessions lasting eight hours or longer. Still, the top streaming weekend of the year followed Thanksgiving, showing that people love to binge while they are home for the holidays.
- Apps used per home. The median Roku household streamed across nine apps in 2025 — three of which were free to watch. And yes, streaming churn and channel rotation are part of the normal viewing cycle. During the year, the average home added four new apps and dropped four apps.
Marketer takeaway: Treat CTV planning as dynamic. Viewers rotate apps, switch between free and paid services, and binge in predictable seasonal cycles. CTV plans work best when they mirror the way people actually stream.
Looking Ahead
2025 made one thing clear: streaming behavior is diverse, fast-moving, and full of signals marketers can use. For a deeper look at what’s next — and how to plan smarter in 2026 — explore Roku’s 2026 Predictions: The Year Ahead in Streaming and build your strategy with the platform that sees the most streaming TV in the U.S.
Roku Internal Data, 2025
