Germany’s audio and audiovisual media sector is poised for a breakthrough in 2025, with revenues expected to reach €16.2 billion, representing a 3.3 % increase over the €15.6 billion recorded in 2024, according to Vaunet’s annual autumn forecast. The growth is almost entirely due to the strong performance of paid streaming services and streaming‑advertising across audio and video formats.
Vaunet projects that combined advertising revenues for audio and audiovisual media will remain broadly stable in 2025 at around €6.1 billion (2024: €6.0 billion). Within this, audio advertising is anticipated to grow 2.5 % to €848 million (2024: €828 million), with radio advertising edging up 1 % to €714 million (2024: €707 million) and audio‑streaming advertising posting a double‑digit increase of 11 % to €133 million (2024: €120 million). In contrast, audiovisual advertising is forecast to decline slightly by 0.1 % to €5.2 billion (2024: €5.2 billion), weighed down by a projected 7 % drop in television advertising to €3.3 billion (2024: €3.6 billion), even as video‑streaming advertising rises 15 % to €1.9 billion (2024: €1.6 billion).
On the paid content front, revenues are expected to grow 6.7 % to hit €8.0 billion in 2025 (2024: €7.5 billion). Within this total, pay‑TV is forecast to remain stable at about €2.1 billion; paid video‑on‑demand is set to grow by 9 % to roughly €3.7 billion (2024: €3.4 billion); and paid audio is predicted to increase by 10 % to about €2.2 billion (2024: €2.0 billion). The teleshopping segment is expected to remain flat at around €2.1 billion.
Frank Giersberg, Managing Director of Vaunet, commented: “Demand for audio and audiovisual media content continues to rise in Germany. Yet a closer look at individual segments also shows that the economic climate is leaving its mark on the media sector. Growth is mainly concentrated in paid streaming services and in streaming audio and video advertising. And it is precisely in these growth segments that we are witnessing the worrying and ever‑increasing market power of global big‑tech corporations.” Vaunet Board Chair Claus Grewenig added: “Market trends highlight the urgent need to establish a level playing field in competition with big‑tech platforms, so that the market’s transformation does not bypass media outlets. A robust and sustainable financial framework, updated platform regulation and broader opportunities for cooperation must all be implemented swiftly.”
The data underscores that while the German market is growing nominally, the underlying dynamics are shifting rapidly—from traditional broadcast advertising and linear television towards digital, subscription‑driven and ad‑supported streaming formats. Broadcasters and media companies operating in Germany will need to adapt to competitive pressures and ensure regulatory frameworks keep pace to sustain growth.