German Advertising Market 2025: Digital Growth Outpaces Print Decline

Germany's advertising market experienced a divergence in performance in 2025, with digital advertising revenues surging while print advertising saw a significant downturn. Net advertising revenues for print daily newspapers fell by 9.0 percent to 1.269 billion euros. In contrast, digital advertising, encompassing classifieds, display ads, and native advertising, grew by 8.4 percent to reach 2.536 billion euros.

Print advertising for weekly and Sunday newspapers saw an increase of 12.1 percent to 99.20 million euros, albeit from a lower base. However, overall print advertising revenue declined by 2.7 percent to 6.742 billion euros. The total German advertising market grew by 2.3 percent to 50.9 billion euros, with media advertising revenues rising 4.3 percent to 27.88 billion euros.

The digital sector was the primary driver of this growth. Online advertising revenues increased by 13.1 percent, with display ads and video streaming up 21.3 percent, and search advertising up 7.0 percent. The market share for online advertising expanded to 56.6 percent.

Industry outlook for 2026 indicates a more cautious sentiment. A survey among member associations revealed a drop in optimism, with expectations pointing towards stagnating or declining advertising budgets. Concerns over AI-driven search results and evolving regulatory landscapes are contributing to a more reserved forecast for the coming year.