Germany's pay-TV and paid online video market experienced robust growth in 2024, reaching approximately €5.5 billion, a 6% increase according to new data from the industry association VAUNET. This positive trend is expected to continue, with a projected 5% growth in 2025, bringing total revenue to €5.8 billion.
The VAUNET study, “Pay-TV & Paid-VoD in Germany 2024/2025,” presented in Berlin, emphasizes the sustained rise in demand for subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) and pay-TV services despite economic and regulatory hurdles. The number of pay-TV subscriptions climbed to 15.2 million in 2024 from 14.8 million in 2023, with a further increase to 15.6 million anticipated in 2025. AGF-listed pay-TV channels achieved an average monthly viewership of 18.8 million in 2024.
SVOD subscriptions also saw significant growth, reaching 22.1 million in 2024 and are projected to hit 23.2 million by 2025. VAUNET managing director Frank Giersberg acknowledged the market's resilience but cautioned about the intensifying competition and uneven playing field against global players. “The market is developing positively and offers users an impressive variety of content,” he stated. “But the competitive pressure is increasing, and unfair competition from Big Tech remains one of the biggest challenges.” The complete VAUNET study is available for download.