The internet, including digital media, social media, and online blogs, is now the main source for news content in Finland. Much like other global markets, newspapers and other traditional media are used much less often than they once were. For several years now the weekly reach of online media has continually exceeded that of printed newspapers, TV, and radio. Although TV remains popular, Finnish households have adapted to online video and on-demand services; In 2021, Netflix was the most used video-on-demand provider in Finland, followed by Viaplay, C More, and Ruutu+.
The transition from traditional to digital in the Finnish media space is especially visible among the younger population. When listening to the radio, for example, younger generations were more likely to listen via cellphone or computer than older generations, who still mainly used physical radio devices. Even books, traditionally borrowed from public libraries in Finland, are increasingly accessed electronically. While the number of books borrowed from libraries showed a decreasing trend throughout most of the last decade, the number of e-book borrowings grew. According to Statista’s Digital Market Outlook, the use and penetration of digital media in Finland, including digital media, ePublishing, video games, and video-on-demand, are expected to continue growing.
