Ireland Leads EU in Paid Streaming Subscriptions

Irish consumers are leading the European Union in their appetite for paid streaming services, with nearly two-thirds of internet users subscribing to film, television series, or sports content.

According to new figures from Eurostat, 63.9% of Irish internet users aged 16-74 had a paid subscription in 2025. This places Ireland significantly ahead of other EU member states, with Denmark following at 61.1% and the Netherlands at 59.2%. The Irish rate is almost double the EU average of 32.7%, highlighting a strong consumer preference for on-demand entertainment and live sports.

This high uptake is further supported by separate commercial research. One study indicates that Irish consumers might be spending close to €2 billion annually on streaming services. The same research found that while 66% of adults pay for at least one service, rising prices are a major concern, with seven in 10 respondents having canceled at least one subscription in the past year due to cost.

While the Eurostat data does not specify the reasons behind Ireland's leading position, potential factors could include greater consumption habits, specific household circumstances, or the availability and pricing strategies of streaming providers in the country. Meanwhile, at the lower end of the scale, Bulgaria recorded only 9.3% of internet users paying for such subscriptions.

Across the EU, film, series, and sports streaming remain the most popular paid online subscriptions. Other services, such as music streaming (23%), online news (7.2%), and gaming streaming (6.1%), also have dedicated subscriber bases, but none match the popularity of video content.