Market Intelligence
Media and Entertainment Germany

Germany Media and Entertainment Filmed Industry Export Market

Summary                                                    

Streaming platforms have increasingly shaped how Germans consume entertainment. This shift, accelerated by the pandemic, continues into 2026, as established global players like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, and Apple TV+ maintain dominance in the German market. 

Introduction                                                        

Technological developments have transformed the media and entertainment landscape. The global media consumption market is valued at approximately USD 2.39 trillion in 2024, with projections to reach USD 3.98 trillion by 2030, reflecting a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 8.8%. This market spans various media types, including traditional and modern, and covers all major regions, including Europe and Germany.

In Germany, television remains highly popular, with 58.9% of the population watching TV daily in 2024. However, online streaming has been steadily growing, with paid streaming subscriptions reaching approximately 22.1 million in 2024.

Cinema attendance in Germany has declined in recent years. After a sharp drop during the pandemic, ticket sales partially recovered in 2023, but in 2024, the market declined again to 80.9 million tickets, reflecting the shift toward streaming and on-demand entertainment.

Most foreign-language films in Germany are dubbed, while many younger Germans prefer to watch English-language content in its original language. The share of German cinemagoers watching domestic films has dropped from 27% in 2019 to 20.6% in 2024, with American productions continuing to dominate German cinemas.

Global players like Netflix, Amazon, and Meta (Facebook) influence the competitive dynamics in Germany’s media and entertainment sector, setting the benchmark for local markets. 

Current Market Trends                                                                                          

Both fiction feature films and documentaries have seen an overall increase in production costs, with children’s films becoming more expensive. Meanwhile, production costs for international co-productions have remained stable, and debut films have seen a decrease in costs.

For the first time this year, time spent on smartphones is expected to surpass the time spent watching traditional television, highlighting a significant change in audience behavior. On average, German consumers spent 203 minutes per day watching TV in 2023, while smartphones have become the most used device for media consumption (Statista, 2023).

The media and entertainment market in Germany was valued at USD 235.04 billion in 2024, underscoring its significant economic role. A major driver of the shift away from traditional media is the rise of smartphones and on-the-go media, enabled by increased smartphone penetration and improved mobile networks that allow for continuous access to video streaming, digital news, and social platforms.

Immersive media, including extended reality (XR) technologies such as augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR), is rapidly growing. The global XR market was valued at over USD 100 billion in 2024, with a growth rate of more than 30% annually, driven by enterprise adoption in areas like training.

The industry faces challenges due to content fragmentation across multiple platforms, leading to subscription fatigue. This complicates content discovery for consumers and has moderated growth for some providers.    

Current Demand                                                                                      

There is a growing number for digital streaming services due to increased consumer demand, making this a major market driver. The trend is expected to continue, with the market projected to exhibit a CAGR of 7.84% from 2025 to 2035 (Dhapte, 2025).  

Demand is increasingly concentrated in online modes of consumption, with audience time shifting from offline and purely broadcast channels toward connected, digital services. This reflects a broader change in how consumers access and engage with media content.  

Subscription-based and ad-based models remain the core revenue engines of the market. Both subscription video on demand (SVOD) services and ad-supported digital platforms continue to see growth. Additionally, other models, such as transactional, hybrid, or bundled offers, complement these primary revenue streams. 

Trade Events

Event: NAB Show (National Association of Broadcasters)   
Date: April 18-22, 2026  
Location: Las Vegas, NV, USA  
Website: https://www.nabshow.com/las-vegas/

Event: ANGACOM 
Date: May 19-21, 2026  
Location: Cologne, Germany  
Website: https://angacom.de/en/homepage 

Event: IFA Berlin  
Date: September 4-8, 2026 
Location: Berlin, Germany  
Website: https://www.ifa-berlin.com/exhibit-prebook 

Event: IBC  
Date: September 11-14, 2026 
Location: Amsterdam, NL
Website: https://show.ibc.org 

Event: DMEXCO – Digital Marketing & Media Expo (Relevant for streaming, digital video, AV media) 
Date: September 16–17, 2026 
Location: Cologne, Germany 
Website: www.dmexco.com 

Trade Associations & Government Agencies

Additional Market Research & Other Resources

 

U.S. Department of Commerce Contact Information

Tobias Wester
Senior Commercial Specialist  
U.S. Commercial Service  
Tobias.Wester@trade.gov
+49 69 7535 3159
Frankfurt, Germany