The 2025 TV Streaming Report from internet TV provider Zattoo reveals a continued shift in how people across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland (DACH) consume television content.
The findings indicate that viewers are slowly, but steadily moving away from traditional reception methods like cable and satellite and increasingly turning to internet-based options, both streaming services and IPTV.
Internet-based TV reception, comprising both IPTV and streaming platforms, has established itself as the most prominent form of TV access in the DACH region. In Switzerland, 61% of respondents now access their television via IPTV or streaming apps, a figure that remains consistent with the previous year. Austria follows closely behind, with 46% of viewers using streaming platforms for TV consumption. In Germany, 43% of people primarily watch TV via the internet.
While internet reception remains strong, traditional methods are losing ground across the region. In Germany, cable TV usage has declined from 30% in 2024 to 28% in 2025, while DTH satellite reception fell from 32% to 30% in the same period. Austria shows a similar pattern: cable usage decreased from 28% to 26%, and DTH satellite reception dropped from 36% to 33%. In Switzerland, 30% of viewers still use cable TV – down from 31% in 2024 – while DTH satellite reception remains unchanged at a low level.
Despite the growing use of internet reception, linear TV remains a major part of viewers’ habits. In Switzerland, linear TV leads with 38% of respondents watching TV in real time. Germany follows with 31%, and Austria with 24%. Video-on-demand is still widely used, but slightly declining, reaching 29% in Germany and 21% in Austria. Media library usage is notably high in Austria at 31%, although slightly lower in Switzerland at 17%.
Economic factors are playing an increasing role in subscription decisions. Around one-fifth of respondents in each country reported cancelling at least one streaming service in the past year. Of these: In Switzerland, 49% switched to cheaper services, 25% chose free alternatives, and 21% stopped using any such service. In Germany, 36% looked for more affordable options, 24% moved to free platforms, and 36% dropped services entirely. In Austria, 38% sought cheaper providers, 29% opted for free services, and 30% gave up on paid streaming.
Zattoo’s annual survey was conducted by YouGov in January 2025 with over 3,000 participants aged 16 to 69 across the DACH region. The full reports:
