REPORT: How is the paid TV and VOD market online changing?

The pandemic not only increased interest in IPTV and VOD, but also Poles' willingness to pay for such services. Thanks to this, in the coming years, live TV on the internet and video on demand will be the leading types of platforms.

In 2025, spending on the purchase of these services in Poland and the region will amount to over PLN 5.9 billion and will increase by nearly 25%, and the number of subscribers will increase to 76 million subscribers. The amount and manner in which Poles consume multimedia content is also changing.

Growth after the pandemic

COVID-19 significantly affected the markets of paid live television, so-called Internet Protocol TV (IPTV), i.e. live TV on the internet, and video on demand in Poland, as well as in Central and Eastern Europe. We spend much more time during the pandemic, both in front of TV sets and mobile devices. These changes are the result of both work and study in front of screens, as well as the growth of digital entertainment consumption during the pandemic.

Importantly, consumers' willingness to pay for such services has also increased. As a result, retail revenues from IPTV and video on demand services in 2025 in Central and Eastern Europe will amount to EUR 6.31 billion (EUR 256 million more than in 2020), according to the latest data from Analysysmason. Meanwhile, the global market for live television watched via the internet on various devices will grow at an average annual rate of 10.36% in the period from 2021 to 2027, according to estimates by Ksusentinel. In turn, in Central and Eastern Europe, the number of paid digital television (IPTV) subscribers will increase by almost 6 million in the years 2020-2026 to 76 million subscribers, according to data from Research and Markets. Thanks to this, the penetration of paid digital television will increase from 56% to 62% in the same period.

- The pandemic actually accelerated the growth of interest in live television via the internet, as well as VOD content in Central and Eastern Europe. We are beneficiaries of this trend in all countries of the region where we operate. - Marek Słonina, Country Manager at the Gonet.tv platform. - We record the greatest growth dynamics in the Czech market. In the first quarter of 2021, it was 31% versus the same period in 2020. However, the Polish market, although young from our point of view, is also recording average monthly growth of 42% this year. I am convinced that Poland will become the dominant country in the region within the next five years, both in the area of IPTV and VOD – adds Marek Słonina from Gonet.tv.

Forecasts for the region

In turn, the number of traditional television subscribers will decrease by almost 5 million in the years 2020-2026, and its total number of subscribers will amount to 78.18 million. In 2026, it will be available in 63% of homes in the region, which means a decrease of 3% from 66% in 2020.

IPTV the leader in Europe

In the coming years, IPTV in Europe will be the leading type of platform in terms of the number of subscribers. It will gain 4 million subscribers in the years 2020-2026, reaching the level of 47 million subscribers, with total revenues of USD 7.42 billion in the region, which means an increase from USD 7.05 billion in 2020, according to the latest forecasts by Digital TV Research. Thanks to this, IPTV will be the only type of content service on the market that will record both revenue and subscriber growth over the next five years.

Almost every (97%) household in our country has a TV set, and two-thirds (65%) of them use satellite platforms, cable TV, or IPTV, paying for access. More and more Poles are using the latter option, i.e. traditional live TV watched via the internet on various devices, including mobile ones. It is already nearly every tenth household, according to the latest data from Nielsen.

Changes in content consumption

Forecasts: how the paid TV and VOD market online is changing

During COVID-19, when Poles spend a lot of time at home, the popularity of streaming services also increased, including the use of various types of VOD or libraries with programs, series, and video-on-demand broadcasts. The use of TV sets to watch content offered in the video-on-demand service also increased by nearly 100%. However, importantly, as many as 95% of households do not intend to give up paid television, treating the video-on-demand service as a supplement to the TV offer, not a replacement for it. These changes are also accompanied by a transformation of what we watch and listen to and at what times.

- We compared the manner of content consumption through our platform, i.e. TV, online radio, and video on demand before and during the pandemic. Our data shows that currently Video on Demand viewership is already growing from the morning hours, i.e. from 10:00, and peaks around 15:00. At that time, 60% of our users use this form of entertainment, 35% watch live TV, and 5% listen to the radio. – adds Marek Słonina, Country Manager at Gonet.tv. - The situation reverses 180 degrees around 20:00. At that time, 60% of our users will spend time watching IPTV, i.e. live television via the internet, and over one-third use the video library offer. In turn, before the pandemic, VOD through our platform was watched primarily after 20:00, peaking around 23:00. However, IPTV was consumed primarily in the afternoon and evening hours, with a peak around 20:00.

Terms from the article

TV — Television. An audiovisual medium distributing programs, advertisements, and video materials through linear channels, streaming, or hybrid television. TV campaigns require planning of reach, frequency, spot format, broadcasting, and audience measurement.

Why it matters: Still unmatched in building mass awareness: no channel delivers as many contacts with an audiovisual message at once. Presence on TV also lends credibility to a brand in the eyes of retailers.

When it is used: For mass product launches, brand building, and campaigns requiring fast, broad reach.

What skipping it risks: Without television, quickly building broad recognition requires piecing together reach from many smaller channels — more slowly and not always more cheaply.

Summary

The paid TV market online (IPTV) and VOD services in Central and Eastern Europe are growing dynamically after the pandemic, which increased consumers' willingness to pay. In 2025, spending on these services will amount to over PLN 5.9 billion, and the number of IPTV subscribers will reach 76 million in 2026, with penetration rising to 62%.

Experts such as Marek Słonina from Gonet.tv note record growth — for example, 42% monthly in Poland. Importantly, 95% of households treat VOD as a supplement, not a replacement, for traditional television. Consumption hours have also changed — VOD gains already from 10:00, while IPTV dominates in the evening after 20:00.