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🏴☠️ TV Piracy Inflicts Heavy Toll on Germany’s Economy
Illicit access to live free-to-air and pay-TV broadcasts has dealt a major blow to the German economy. According to a study by consulting firm Goldmedia, commissioned by the industry association VAUNET, losses reached €2.4 billion last year.
This represents a 33% surge compared to the previous assessment in 2022, despite advancements in digital rights management and anti-piracy litigation.
The public budget incurred losses of approximately €542 million in uncollected taxes and social security contributions. Meanwhile, directly affected media companies suffered a revenue shortfall of about €1.5 billion.
The study reveals that in 2025, roughly 7.7 million German residents accessed illegal TV streams. The highest concentration of piracy was recorded among youth aged 16 to 33, with nearly three-quarters of respondents in this demographic stating that pirated streams offered the most convenient way to watch live broadcasts.
Frank Giersberg, Managing Director of VAUNET, emphasized that TV piracy remains a widespread phenomenon that threatens media diversity. The association is calling for more stringent measures, including expedited takedowns by hosting providers and the implementation of dynamic blocking orders to disrupt illegal streams in real time during live broadcasts.
Source: VAUNET
