Streaming or VOD services can provide content for free or for subscribers (subscription video on demand or SVOD), common examples being Amazon Prime Video and Netflix. Catalogues of available content vary in Germany depending on the streaming service. Some services, such as online media libraries hosted by German public television broadcasters, do share their content for free without a subscription, but only for a certain length of time. 30 percent of German viewers aged 14 years and older used these media libraries once or several times a week in 2021.
Long-standing video streaming heavyweights enjoying success around the world are also well-known and used in Germany, namely YouTube, Amazon Prime Video, and Netflix. A new player on the video streaming market in Europe is Disney+. However, the highly anticipated European launch was postponed in some countries, as the launch date, unknowingly at the time of announcement, was set for a spring which turned out to be almost completely dominated by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The new streaming service did launch in Germany in March 2020.
