Key facts
- 32.7% of EU internet users paid for streaming subscriptions in 2025.
- Ireland leads with 63.9% of users subscribing to video and sports services.
- Denmark follows with 61.1% of users subscribing to streaming services.
- Bulgaria has the lowest subscription rate at 9.3%.
- Audio platforms and music streaming services have 23.0% of EU users.
- Online news and digital publications are subscribed to by 7.2% of users.
Nearly one in three Europeans paid for online subscriptions in 2025, with significant regional disparities across the European Union, according to new data from Eurostat. While subscription services are popular in northern and western European households, adoption rates lag in Eastern Europe.
Across the EU, 32.7% of internet users held paid streaming subscriptions for services like Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Disney+. Ireland led the rankings with 63.9% of its internet users subscribing, followed closely by Denmark at 61.1% and the Netherlands at 59.2%.
Conversely, Bulgaria recorded the lowest adoption rate at 9.3%, with Slovenia (13.7%), Latvia (16.7%), and Lithuania (17.4%) also showing low engagement with paid streaming services, highlighting a digital divide.
Beyond video and sports streaming, other subscription sectors show varying popularity. Audio platforms, including music streaming and podcasts, count 23.0% of EU internet users as paying subscribers. Subscriptions for online news, digital newspapers, and magazines are less common, at 7.2%, while interactive cloud gaming subscriptions trail at 6.1%.
Despite their popularity, subscription services have faced legal challenges. A Dutch consumer group is suing Netflix over significant price increases, seeking up to €673 million in damages. Similar legal cases have occurred in Italy, Germany, and Spain, with one in Austria concluding in an out-of-court settlement.