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In the first quarter of 2023, the German streaming market witnessed significant developments, with major players vying for a larger share of the audience.
The ARD Mediathek, the streaming portal of German TV broadcasters, reached an impressive 2.8 million daily users, making it the most reach streaming portal in the country. This figure marks a 27 percent increase in usage volume compared to the previous quarter. One of the most popular titles on the platform was the documentary "Beckenbauer" (BR), which was called up 2.1 million times. The regional documentary series "Raus aufs Land" (rbb/HR) also saw success, with 1.0 million calls for the second season.
Play Suisse, the public broadcasting BVoD portal of the Swiss SRG, is the second most used login-based streaming platform in Switzerland, boasting over one million subscribers. Domestic productions from series, film, show, and documentary can be found at the top of the audience ranking on Play Suisse.
As for international players, Disney and Apple are pursuing growth strategies. Disney is planning to introduce a ban on account sharing for subscribers, while Apple is considering advertising plans and wants to establish additional revenue and more affordable subscription models through advertising.
RTL Germany, through strategic cooperation with Magenta TV of Deutsche Telekom, has seen an increase in subscribers for RTL+ in Germany for the full year 2023. By the first quarter of 2024, RTL+ is projected to have 29.1 percent more video starts compared to the previous year, and RTL+, a streaming platform owned by RTL Germany, is expected to have 23 percent more paying subscriptions by the end of 2023. The exclusive content of RTL+, including leading reality TV formats, UEFA Europa League football matches, and fiction, has contributed to this growth.
Joyn, a streaming platform owned by ProSiebenSat.1, had its strongest quarter since its existence in the first quarter of 2023. Joyn is focusing on reality and comedy genres for its programming in 2024, with exclusive highlights planned for the second half of the year. The platform's success with audiences is driven by the quality of its content, with 36 percent more video users and 13 percent more watch time.
The streaming market in the German market seems to be consolidating, with Amazon's Prime Video maintaining a clear lead, Apple+ gaining market share from Netflix and Paramount+, and Disney+ following closely behind.
Looking ahead, key future trends in the video streaming and TV industry include the growth of mobile-first OTT driven by 5G and edge computing, the continued rise of streaming surpassing linear TV in viewership, expansion of Free Ad-Supported TV (FAST) platforms like PlutoTV and Roku Channel, and the importance of integrated Smart TVs and streaming devices for content access. Major players shaping these trends are Amazon, Netflix, Disney+, YouTube, and new regional platforms like Aha OTT. These entities are positioning themselves as gatekeepers controlling technology and content distribution in the future video ecosystem.
The #MTM SPECIAL FUTURE VIDEO 2024 discussed these trends and more, providing insights into the future of the streaming landscape in Germany and beyond.
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