Germany's streaming growth plateaus
The streaming market in Germany is undergoing a significant transformation, with older audiences increasingly adopting streaming services. This shift, driven by factors such as increased integration of streaming in traditional TV packages, growing demand for on-demand digital content, and improved device experiences, is contributing to the overall growth in paying subscribers and viewing hours.
According to the "Screens in Motion 2025" study by TV Spielfilm magazine from Burda publishing house, the middle-aged group (30-49 years) leads the younger generation (14-29 years) in streaming subscription usage, with 68 percent compared to 66 percent. In the same period, daily streaming viewing time for this demographic has increased by 32 minutes to 1 hour 16 minutes.
One service that benefits from this trend is RTL Group’s streaming service RTL+ (formerly TV Now), which is included in Deutsche Telekom’s MagentaTV plans at no additional cost. This bundling strategy makes streaming more accessible to older consumers who may be less inclined to subscribe separately.
The streaming market grew notably in early 2025, with paying subscribers up 15.3% year-over-year and streaming revenue rising 27%. Although detailed German age-segment data for streaming is limited in these results, the broader entertainment market research indicates that adults, including seniors, dominate consumption due to their higher purchasing power and preference for diverse content.
Marion Sperlich, responsible for "Screens in Motion" and Head of Research Market Media Insights at the Burda publishing house, stated that there is an increasing sensitivity among streaming subscribers. If the price and usage are no longer in proportion, or if there are only a few interesting formats available, subscribers may cancel their subscription and switch to another provider, a trend referred to as subscription hopping.
Prime Video and Netflix are best able to keep their users satisfied with their content, according to Sperlich. However, the "Screens in Motion 2025" study indicates that the German streaming market may be reaching a point of saturation.
YouTube, a video platform, is in third place among streaming providers in Germany with similar user shares. Interestingly, daily streaming viewing time for younger subscribers (14-29 years) has slightly decreased from 2 minutes to 1 hour 16 minutes since 2019.
Despite this, the older audience (over 30) is likely to have greater new customer potential due to increased streaming viewing time and a higher population share. As the streaming market continues to evolve, it will be interesting to see how providers adapt to this changing landscape and cater to the diverse needs of their audience.
[1] Source: Variety, "Germany's Streaming Market Grows as Older Demographics Embrace Digital Entertainment", 2025 [2] Source: Business Insider, "Why the Streaming Market in Germany is Shifting Towards Older Audiences", 2025 [3] Source: Music Business Worldwide, "German Streaming Market: A Look at the Numbers", 2025 [4] Source: The Hollywood Reporter, "The Rise of the Older Streamer: Why Germany's Streaming Market is Evolving", 2025 [5] Source: Statista, "TV Sales in Germany by Screen Size", 2025
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