EU Streaming Penetration Reaches One in Three Internet Users

Eurostat data for 2025 show that paid streaming has become a mainstream habit in the European Union: 32.7% of internet users paid for access to films, series or sports content. Across the wider region, however, the figures diverge sharply, with Montenegro recorded at just 6.22%.

Montenegro sits near the bottom of the regional list. Its Western Balkan neighbours reported higher shares: Croatia at 21.6%, Kosovo at 13.57%, Albania at 11.17%, North Macedonia at 9.07% and Bosnia and Herzegovina at 8.8%. Serbia, at 6.15%, was the only country in the comparison with a slightly lower proportion than Montenegro.

The same dataset shows that film, series and sport streaming is the most common paid subscription category among internet users in the EU. Music streaming follows at 23%, while paid subscriptions to news sites, newspapers or magazines sit at 7.2% and subscriptions to video-game streaming services at 6.1%.

Inside the EU, the highest uptake was recorded in Ireland and Denmark, where 63.9% and 61.1% of internet users respectively paid for such video streaming. The lowest member-state shares were in Bulgaria at 9.3%, Slovenia at 13.7%, Latvia at 16.7% and Lithuania at 17.4%.

The Regional Streaming Divide Behind Montenegro's 6.2%

Why the EU average hides a wide spread

The EU average of 32.7% combines countries with very different adoption levels. Ireland and Denmark exceed 60%, while Bulgaria is below 10%. That gap suggests streaming penetration is not yet a single European market in habit terms. The data do not identify whether income, broadband quality, language catalogues or local pricing explain the difference; those are plausible factors but not established by this release.

Montenegro and the regional divide

In the Western Balkans, Croatia stands out with 21.6% paid video streaming penetration, more than three times Montenegro's 6.22%. Kosovo, Albania, North Macedonia and Bosnia fall between roughly 9% and 14%. Serbia and Montenegro are effectively tied at the bottom. The pattern implies a regional gap that is not only about EU membership, since Croatia is an EU member while the others are not, but the source does not provide causal evidence.

What subscription categories reveal

Film, series and sports streaming clearly dominates the paid content market in the EU: 32.7% compared with 23% for music and well under 8% for news or game streaming. That is consistent with the global shift toward video-on-demand platforms, though the Eurostat release names no companies.