Report: Streaming revenues surge in Spain, Italy, Poland
January 21, 2025

Europe’s video entertainment landscape is evolving rapidly, with continued growth across the region and streaming services seeing strong gains in key markets. The latest trio of reports from Futuresource Consulting showcases the countries where audiences continue to embrace a wide breadth of content, whether that’s coming through traditional pay-TV operators or via direct subscription video on demand services.
This of Futuresource reports evaluates the video entertainment markets in Spain, Italy and Poland, and assesses the impactors and drivers as the sector continues its transition to digital.
Streaming continues to surge
“We’re seeing a surge in streaming revenues in Spain and Italy,” says Rachel Mitchell, Research Analyst at Futuresource Consulting. “In 2024, Spain recorded robust growth of 16 per cent in streaming revenue, while Italy followed closely behind with 14 per cent, and it’s coming from an alignment of different influences. There’s been an increase in investment in local content, some strategic price adjustments, and plenty of action in the ad-supported subscription tiers from major platforms like Netflix and Disney+.”
Spain and Italy aren’t alone in this push forward into new streaming territory, with growth in Poland seeing another year of double-digit growth at 12 per cent. Through to 2028, growth here will be more measured, rising by just 3 per cent annually, with consumers content on having around 2.1 services per household, sitting not far behind Italy at 2.2, and Spain at 2.4. Stacking of multiple services, is static in Poland, as new consumers enter the subscription sector, taking a slightly more cautious approach to the number of services they take.
A tougher year for box office and transactional
For Spain and Italy, after a period of strong post-pandemic box office growth, 2024 proved challenging here and in a number of other markets, with flat or slightly declining revenues. This has had a knock-on effect on transactional video, particularly in regions where retail distribution remains static. Yet, for Poland, there’s been a significant boost from the launch of Amazon’s transactional store, which has fuelled double-digit growth in Electronic Sell-Through (EST) and Transactional VoD. Futuresource expects this trend to persist over the coming years.
More short-term, the outlook for 2025 is far more optimistic for all markets, with an improved slate of film releases expected to reinvigorate both theatrical and digital transactional markets.
Pay-TV holds its ground amid changing consumer habits
“Despite the rise of streaming, pay-TV remains a cornerstone of consumer entertainment spend,” said Anastasia Budash, Lead Market Analyst, Futuresource Consulting. “This is particularly pronounced in Poland, where household penetration is at 69 per cent. Pay-TV generated 60 per cent of the total market revenue in 2024, supported by a high TV viewing culture, as well as a raft of market strategies employed to limit or redirect cord-cutting.”
In Spain and Italy, the sector commands a slightly smaller, but still significant share, at 47 per cent and 44 per cent respectively. Stability in this segment is largely due to bundled subscription deals, which now commonly integrate leading SVoD services into pay-TV packages.
Regional divides and common ground
“Europe’s entertainment market is increasingly fragmented, with different countries and sub-regions moving at their own pace. Yet there are many underlying similarities as well. By understanding these interlocking patterns, shifts and nuances, savvy industry players are able to capitalise on new opportunities.”