{"id":7109,"date":"2025-12-16T12:00:27","date_gmt":"2025-12-16T11:00:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/leibniz-hbi.de\/?post_type=hbi-publications&p=7109"},"modified":"2025-12-19T18:06:58","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T17:06:58","slug":"global-media-and-internet-concentration","status":"publish","type":"hbi-publications","link":"https:\/\/leibniz-hbi.de\/en\/hbi-publications\/global-media-and-internet-concentration\/","title":{"rendered":"Global Media and Internet Concentration"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"CoverThe report, Media, Telecommunication, and Internet Concentration in Germany, 2019-2023, authored by Lukas Barbutev, Dr. Hendrik Theine, Dr. Tobias Mast<\/a>, and Josefine May Spannuth, provides a comprehensive overview of the development, economic significance, and market concentration of key players in Germany’s telecommunications, media, publishing, and internet industries from 2019 to 2023. The report places a particular focus on the increasing dominance of digital platforms.<\/p>\n

From 2019 to 2023, the total revenue of the German media and communications industry increased from \u20ac120.7 billion to \u20ac137.0 billion, marking an overall growth of approximately 13.5%. This growth was primarily driven by the digital and internet-based sectors, which steadily increased their share of the overall media industry.<\/p>\n

This report was compiled and published as part of the Global Media & Internet Concentration Project (GMICP)<\/a>. This project analyzes communications, internet, and media markets in nearly 40 countries. Since spring 2023, the HBI has been responsible for data collection and report preparation for Germany.<\/p>\n

You can download the report here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Summary of the Report<\/h2>\n

The Media, Telecommunication, and Internet Concentration in Germany 2019 – 2023 report provides a comprehensive overview of market concentration and the economic significance of key players across four major sectors: telecommunications, audiovisual media, publishing, and core internet applications.<\/p>\n

Between 2019 and 2023, Germany\u2019s total media and communications revenues increased from \u20ac120.7 billion to \u20ac137.0 billion, representing an overall growth of approximately 13.5 %. Growth was largely driven by digital and internet-based sectors, which have steadily expanded their share within the overall media economy.<\/p>\n

Traditional sectors – including newspapers, magazines, and wireline telecommunications – continued to decline. Newspaper circulation has fallen by nearly 50 % since the 1990s, while magazine revenues decreased by about 16 % over the past five years. In contrast, digital-first segments exhibited robust expansion: online video services more than doubled their revenues (+155 %), mobile browsers grew by 85 %, and internet advertising increased by more than 50 %, consolidating its role as one of the most important sources of industry income.<\/p>\n

The telecommunications sector remains the largest revenue generator, accounting for around 40 % of total revenues in 2023. It is also among the most concentrated markets, with Deutsche Telekom and Vodafone together controlling over 60 % of the sector, while Telef\u00f3nica retains a strong third position. The audiovisual sector, now making up 23 % of total revenues, has been the fastest-growing segment – driven by streaming services and digital gaming – although traditional broadcasting has largely stagnated.<\/p>\n

The publishing sector, once the backbone of Germany\u2019s media economy, declined to just 13.8 % of total revenues by 2023. While books have remained relatively stable, newspapers and magazines continue to face deep structural challenges and accelerating consolidation, particularly in regional markets.<\/p>\n

Finally, core internet applications – covering search engines, browsers, app distribution, digital intermediaries, and online platforms – have emerged as one of the most dynamic pillars of the media economy. Their share increased from 17 % in 2019 to nearly 24 % in 2023, underscoring the ongoing digital transformation. These markets remain extremely concentrated: Alphabet (Google) dominates search, mobile operating systems, and browsers, while Meta and Amazon maintain strong positions in social media and digital advertising. In several subsectors, HHI values exceed 5,000 – 9,000, far above standard competition thresholds, highlighting the structural dominance of global technology corporations within Germany\u2019s digital media landscape.<\/p>\n

Overall, the German media economy is undergoing a profound digital transformation. While traditional publishing and broadcast formats continue to shrink, digital platforms and internet applications have captured a growing share of revenues, shaping how information, culture, and commerce circulate. From a policy perspective, these findings raise critical questions about the balance of competition, diversity, and democratic resilience in a media environment increasingly dominated by global technology corporations.<\/p>\n

Barbutev, L., Theine, H., Mast, T., & Spannuth, J.M. (2025). Media, Telecommunication, and Internet Concentration in Germany, 2019-2023. Global Media and Internet Concentration Project, Carleton University. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.22215\/gmicp\/2025.12.276<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":2579,"template":"","tags":[],"class_list":["post-7109","hbi-publications","type-hbi-publications","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nGlobal Media and Internet Concentration - Leibniz Institut f\u00fcr Medienforschung | Leibniz Institute for Media Research<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/leibniz-hbi.de\/en\/hbi-publications\/global-media-and-internet-concentration\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Global Media and Internet Concentration\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The report, Media, Telecommunication, and Internet Concentration in Germany, 2019-2023, authored by Lukas Barbutev, Dr. Hendrik Theine, Dr. Tobias Mast, and Josefine May Spannuth, provides a comprehensive overview of the development, economic significance, and market concentration of key players in Germany’s telecommunications, media, publishing, and internet industries from 2019 to 2023. 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