VAUNET spring forecast 2026: Total advertising revenue from TV, video streaming and audio media rises to €6.5 billion in Germany • Shift from linear media to streaming continues

VAUNET, the German Media Association, predicts advertising revenues from TV, video streaming and audio media in Germany to grow by 4.3 per cent in 2026, rising from €6.28 billion to €6.55 billion. In 2025, growth was just 0.9 per cent. At the same time, the trend of recent years persists: while the traditional linear media sectors – which still generate the highest revenue – are coming under increasing refinancing pressure, the streaming market continues to grow. The main beneficiaries are the global Big Tech platforms. In 2026 alone, the main players – Alphabet, Amazon, ByteDance and Meta – are expected to account for 72 per cent of advertising revenue in the in-stream video segment. VAUNET presented these figures today in its annual spring forecast on developments in the TV, video streaming and audio advertising segments, published in connection with the annual conference of the ZAW German Advertising Federation.

Frank Giersberg, Managing Director at VAUNET: “Developments in advertising revenue reflect the rapid transformation of the media market. Even though TV and radio remain the segments with the highest revenues, streaming services continue to gain ground. Commercial media companies are key drivers and shapers of this transformation. Nevertheless, they are losing substantial advertising market shares to the Big Tech platforms, which can leverage their market power and gatekeeper function while operating under lighter regulation. One in two euros spent in the German advertising market already goes to the global Big Tech platforms. As a result, the financial foundations of traditional media services are increasingly being eroded.”

Claus Grewenig, Chairman of the Board at VAUNET: “Through their journalistic and creative content, commercial TV, video streaming and audio media help safeguard diversity of opinion and democracy against disinformation, particularly on the Big Tech platforms and social networks. Even so, these platforms act as gatekeepers and are capturing an ever-growing share of advertising revenues – to the detriment of media financing. If this development isn’t halted, significant losses in media diversity and democratic public discourse are likely, both now and in the longer term. Germany’s federal and regional governments, together with European policymakers, must therefore strengthen the financial foundations and economic flexibility of commercial media companies as a top priority and create a level playing field with platform providers.”