Share of smart TVs in total TV sales in Germany 2010-2023

The share of households with a smart TV in Germany has seen rapid growth over the past 13 years. In 2010, only five percent of households had a smart TV, whilst by 2023, this figure was 96 percent. The rise in popularity of streaming services has contributed to people wanting a smart TV in their homes.

TV purchasing habits

There is no doubt that smart TVs are popular in Germany. In total, almost 21.3 million households had smart TVs and around 25.7 million had connected TVs. Although these two may sound similar, a connected TV can just connect to the internet, whilst a smart TV can specifically stream shows and movies via apps that can be downloaded from an app store on the TV. The most popular brand among buyers was Samsung, followed by LG and Philips. Although TVs are clearly a popular household device, when it came to the devices that Germans were purchasing, smartphones and computers, laptops, and tablets, were bought more frequently than televisions.

The effect of streaming on TV

In Germany, according to a survey, the most popular type of media that is consumed is TV, with an average daily use time of 203 minutes. Streaming services mean that viewers have a lot more freedom when it comes to TV-watching habits. They can watch countless TV shows and movies at the click of a button, even ones that are not played on TV anymore. People can also binge an entire series in one sitting and don’t have to wait for a new episode each week, as streaming services often release the entire season of a new show in one go. Almost 30 percent of Germans had at least three subscriptions to streaming services. This is because different services have different options, and most streaming platforms now also produce their own TV shows and movies that are available there exclusively. The top three streaming services used the most by people in Germany were Amazon Prime, Netflix, and Disney+.