Illegal live TV streaming in Germany caused total economic losses of approximately €2.4bn, according to Vaunet, the German association for private audiovisual media.
The figure represents a 33% increase compared to a previous study carried out in 2022, and comes despite technical safeguards, legal proceedings, and public awareness campaigns.
Vaunet said that piracy caused the government to lose approximately €542m in taxes and social security contributions annually – an increase of nearly 40% compared to 2022.
The direct economic loss suffered by media companies amounts to approximately €1.5bn, with additional losses arising throughout the wider value chain.
In 2025, approximately 7.7 million people in Germany illegally accessed linear TV streams, with illegal viewing most prevalent among 16- to 33-year-olds.
The study also shows that the willingness to use legal services increases when illegal alternatives aren’t available.
To combat the illegal viewing, Vauent is calling for: clearer and faster takedown obligations; more effective, dynamic blocking measures; and clearer legal accountability.
Goldmedia conducted this research study on behalf of Vaunet.
Frank Giersberg, Managing Director at Vaunet, said: “The figures show that TV piracy remains a widespread phenomenon that causes significant harm to media providers, media diversity, and the public purse. There is therefore an urgent need for more effective measures to curb illegal TV viewing in the long term and thus protect media diversity.”
The Motion Picture Association’s content security initiative TPN issued more security alerts in the first quarter of 2026 than in all of 2025, according to its latest cybersecurity data. Discover more here.
24 million watch England's World Cup defeat
A peak audience of 24 million watched as Argentina knocked out England in the World Cup semi-final on Wednesday night (July 15) across BBC One and BBC iPlayer, giving the BBC an 85% share of all TV viewing.
Disney+ expands to 58 languages in localisation push
Disney+ expands to 58 languages in localisation push Streaming platform Disney+ is rolling out support for 17 additional languages, bringing its total to 58 audio languages.
Jeremy Clarkson and BBC’s Matt Brittin join RTS London Convention line-up
The Royal Television Society (RTS) has announced a raft of high-profile speakers for its biennial RTS London Convention 2026, which takes place on September 26.
12 US states to block Paramount’s Warner Bros Discovery deal
The Writers Guild of America and a coalition of US states have both filed major antitrust lawsuits to challenge Paramount Skydance’s planned acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD).
Netflix explores live TV and bundles
Netflix reportedly is exploring the addition of live channels and bundling other subscription-based streaming services in a bid to bolster subscriber engagement.
.jpg)
