The success of streaming is creating both abundance and friction. Viewers have more to watch than ever before. Yet finding something they want often takes too long. As audiences face growing fragmentation, there’s a clear opportunity to make content discovery intuitive and rewarding again.
According to Gracenote’s 2025 State of Play report, audiences still love streaming, but the thrill of seemingly infinite choices has become an endless maze. The challenge isn’t that viewers don’t want to watch; it’s that they can’t easily find what they want. Streaming is maturing, and the next phase of growth depends on improving how people discover and engage with content.
The paradox of streaming abundance
The data shows a streaming market still expanding. The number of free ad-supported streaming (FAST) channels continues to climb, and global streaming services keep expanding their catalogs. As the supply of entertainment keeps rising, viewers bounce among apps and subscriptions in search of something to watch.
Nearly half of all streaming viewers say it’s getting harder to find what they want. They spend an average of 14 minutes searching before pressing play, with younger audiences spending even more time. Nearly 50% state they would consider canceling a service because they can’t find something to watch.
The challenge is especially evident in live sports. To watch every NFL game, fans need access to several different services. That complexity turns loyal fans into frustrated detectives. Streaming freed audiences from linear schedules, but freedom without guidance risks undermining engagement.
Audiences aren’t turning away from streaming; they are asking for better experiences. Many viewers want a service that tells them where to find a specific program, even if it’s on another platform. Others want recommendations shaped by their own preferences such as release year, mood, or country of origin. And 84% say layout, images, and program descriptions define the value of a service
Streaming is no longer just about access to endless content. It’s about how people feel when they engage with a service. The viewer experience has become the product, and personalization now sits at the center of every strategy.
AI and the future of streaming discovery
Gracenote’s report identifies a powerful accelerant. Generative AI and large language models (LLMs) can transform how audiences search, browse, and decide what to watch.
Traditional search depends on keywords. Type “Seattle TV shows” and you get a static list. LLM-driven discovery understands nuance: “What’s a good comfort show set in Seattle?” or “Where can I watch the Dodgers game tonight?”
AI models trained on harmonized entertainment data can connect viewers with accurate, real-time results. They can unify metadata across multiple catalogs and rank results by popularity, critical acclaim, or mood.
For media content companies, these capabilities mean stronger engagement. Better discovery leads to less searching, fewer abandoned sessions, and lower churn. AI-enhanced interfaces can reintroduce a sense of curation, the element many viewers miss from traditional TV, while still offering the flexibility of streaming.
Common standards for streaming navigation
The real opportunity isn’t to compete for every minute of attention, but to help audiences navigate abundance. Unified discovery doesn’t require every service to merge libraries; it requires smarter metadata, richer taxonomies, and collaboration on common standards.
Companies that take this approach can turn fragmentation into differentiation. They can become a trusted guide, not just another destination. By understanding how mood, time of day, or current events influence viewing decisions, they can deliver more relevant recommendations and seamless journeys. Currently, when looking for something to watch, only 28% of streaming viewers report choosing content based on a service recommendation (30% in the U.S.).
Viewers don’t resent moving between services; they resent confusion. Helping them find something to watch, even if it’s hosted elsewhere, builds loyalty through transparency. This is about expanding the value exchange between viewers and brands. Companies that empower discovery, even beyond their own platforms, strengthen trust and remind audiences that the success of streaming depends on serving people first.
Search for streaming success
For media executives, Gracenote’s data affirms what many already sense. Engagement isn’t just about how much people watch; it’s about how confidently they navigate the streaming environment. When viewers spend 14 minutes searching, that’s 14 minutes of potential disengagement. When they give up entirely, that’s a lost connection and possibly a lost subscriber.
Fragmentation won’t reverse itself. If anything, it will deepen as new services, FAST channels, and specialized platforms emerge. The solution isn’t to rebuild the old cable bundle. It’s to create bridges of intelligent, data-driven, audience-centered pathways that make the ecosystem easier to explore. AI can help.
Success comes down to intention: seeing curation not as nostalgia, but as streaming’s natural next chapter. Engagement thrives when innovation is paired with clarity and when abundance feels accessible rather than overwhelming. Elevating content discovery will define the future, not by expanding catalogs, but by guiding viewers through them. This is a moment to transform data into discovery, and discovery into delight.
Opening image source: Netflix TechBlog
