Digital media market sees a surge, with YouTube dominating the streaming platform landscape.
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In a significant shift for the German streaming market, older adults are increasingly turning to streaming services, according to the "Screens in Motion 2025" study. This trend is influenced by broader digital adoption trends, changing media consumption habits, and improved digital literacy.
Marion Sperlich, head of research at Market Media Insights at Burda Verlag, has stated that there is an increasing sensitivity among streaming subscribers. "Subscription hopping," where users cancel and re-subscribe to different providers due to price and content dissatisfaction, is a growing trend.
The older demographic, particularly those aged 30 to 49 and over 50, are driving this growth. The middle-aged group is the largest group of streaming subscription users, with viewing time increasing by 32 minutes to 1 hour 16 minutes in the past few years. Those over 50 currently watch streaming content for 42 minutes a day, an increase of 25 minutes. In contrast, among younger subscribers (14 to 29), there has been a slight decrease in daily streaming viewing time from 2 minutes to 1 hour 16 minutes since 2019.
This shift has important implications for the streaming market. Streaming companies are encouraged to diversify content offerings with themes appealing to seniors and to develop easier-to-use apps or devices. Providers may also invest in personalized recommendations and subtitles or audio features that cater to older viewers’ preferences and needs. Traditional broadcasters might increase their streaming presence to retain older viewers shifting away from linear TV, and partnerships with eldercare or health platforms could emerge, integrating streaming as part of wellness or leisure programs.
The gradual digital adoption among older adults is a key factor driving increased streaming use. While older adults generally lag in adopting emerging technologies, there is a slow uptick in media-related digital engagement as technological access and familiarity improve over time. Older adults increasingly prefer streaming services for convenience, content variety, and on-demand access compared to traditional TV, partially driven by the COVID-19 pandemic accelerating digital media habits globally.
Streaming platforms and devices have begun tailoring user interfaces to be more senior-friendly, lowering barriers caused by complex navigation or small interfaces. This aligns with research emphasizing the importance of training and design improvements for older users adapting to digital health or media portals.
In the German streaming market, Prime Video and Netflix are best able to keep their users satisfied with their content, according to Sperlich. YouTube is currently in third place among streaming service user shares, likely due to its price-performance ratio. The viewing time or user shares lost by classic TV do not all go to streaming subscription providers, but also to the broadcasters' own media libraries. Linear TV usage is currently decreasing by 45 minutes of viewing time per day compared to 2019.
Interestingly, the streaming service usage among people aged 30 to 49 in Germany has caught up with the younger generation, with 68% compared to 66% according to the "Screens in Motion 2025" study by TV Spielfilm magazine from Burda publishing house. This suggests a convergence in streaming habits across different age groups.
The authors of the "Screens in Motion 2025" study see a "certain saturation" in the German streaming market for the first time overall. This could signal a shift in focus for streaming providers towards retaining and satisfying existing users rather than acquiring new ones.
In summary, while older Germans show slower digital adoption compared to younger groups, streaming usage is increasing due to broader digital trends and improved service accessibility. This growing adoption prompts streaming companies to adapt their market strategies and product designs to better serve the aging population in Germany. The current detailed statistics specifically quantifying streaming use by older Germans remain sparse in the available 2025 data.
[1] https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/services/technology/artificial-intelligence/artificial-intelligence-survey-2020.html [4] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7497263/
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