The European Audiovisual Observatory has released its latest Key Trends 2026 report, offering a data-driven snapshot of how the European audiovisual sector is evolving — from the creative workforce and production trends to changing viewing habits, market dynamics and global competition.

The European audiovisual sector generated around €142 billion in revenues in 2024. Consumer spending – including streaming subscriptions, pay-TV, cinema tickets and home video – accounted for over half of the market (€72 billion), making it the primary engine of growth

Key takeaways from the report:

Production: European film production hit a record high in 2024

European film production reached a historic peak in 2024 with 2,523 feature films produced across 36 markets, confirming a strong recovery and continued growth since the pandemic. The increase was driven by both fiction and documentary output, while production budgets also continued to rise across much of Europe.

Exploitation: 78% of SVoD viewing time goes to TV series with just 22% for films

European audiences are spending most of their streaming time watching series rather than films. According to the report, 78 per cent of viewing time on SVoD platforms is devoted to TV series, compared with just 22 per cent for films. This highlights how episodic storytelling has become the dominant format in the streaming economy.

Audiovisual services: Streaming services are investing more in European content

Global streaming platforms are playing a rapidly growing role in financing European productions. Their share of spending on original European content rose from 8 per cent in 2020 to 24 per cent in 2024, reflecting both regulatory incentives and increasing demand for local stories across global markets.

Players: Europe represents just 12% of the global entertainment market leading players

Despite a vibrant industry, Europe accounts for only 12 per cent of revenues among the world’s largest entertainment companies, far behind the US, which dominates the global market. Meanwhile, major global platforms such as Netflix, YouTube and Meta are now among the leading audiovisual players operating in Europe.

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Categories: Articles, Broadcast, Consumer Behaviour, Content, Markets, Research

Tags: europe, European Audiovisual Observatory, meta, netflix, youtube