World TV Day: TV in transition - more digital, more streaming, more advertising acceptance

Television is becoming increasingly digital, users are buying more and more smart and internet-enabled TV sets and more and more streaming providers are entering the German market. At the same time, viewer acceptance of advertising is increasing. 

German consumers prefer simple on-demand access to online content when watching television: In German households, 85% of televisions are connected to the internet. More than 70% of Germans attach importance to watching content from the media library on a large screen.

Although linear television still plays an important role, one trend is clearly recognizable: easy access to online content via smart TVs is contributing to a decline in the consumption of linear content, especially among younger users, while the use of streaming services is increasing. 67% of viewers between the ages of 18 and 29 watch linear television. In contrast, 87% of older users aged between 50 and 69 continue to watch traditional television.

Streaming subscriptions are on the rise: a full 74% of German consumers already use such a service - and usually only from a single provider such as Netflix or Amazon Prime. Additional streaming services, which are also offered as paid subscriptions by Apple or Disney, for example, significantly expand the range of on-demand video.

However, Germans' financial resources for these services are limited. More than half of those surveyed would accept advertising in order to obtain a subscription at a lower price or free of charge. In addition, more than 70 percent of users are not bothered by advertisements if they can watch an entire episode afterwards without interruption. (pd)