Observed Signal · Jun 17, 2026 · Market Data Release · Source: DWDL · Impact: 3/5 · Sentiment: Neutral
TV Up in May; Radio and Newspapers Decline
Nielsen’s latest gross advertising figures show the total German ad market reached €3.03 billion in May 2026, a 2.8% increase year‑on‑year, driven mainly by TV. Television ad revenues rose 4.5% to €1.39 billion, making TV the strongest performer and narrowing its year‑to‑date loss to 0.2% versus 2025. Newspapers and radio suffered: newspapers fell 7.8% in May and are down 3.2% year‑to‑date, while radio dropped 6.1% in May and is down 3.5% year‑to‑date. Outdoor and online publishers grew in May by 7.5% and 12.8% respectively. Cinema revenue, though small at €12.5 million in May, surged about 140% compared with May 2025. Among TV sales houses, Ad Alliance posted +9.3% in May while Seven.One Media recorded −2.2%. Nielsen figures are based on list prices and exclude discounts and barter.
Nielsen monthly gross-ad numbers show shifting ad spend across media (TV growth, print and radio decline, online and OOH gains). These trends affect media planning, inventory pricing and publisher revenue strategies in the German ad market.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Total gross advertising revenues across all media in May 2026: €3.03 billion (up 2.8% year‑on‑year, source: Nielsen).
- Television ad revenues in May 2026: €1.39 billion (up 4.5% year‑on‑year); TV YTD (Jan–May) down 0.2% versus the same period in 2025.
- Newspapers: −7.8% in May 2026 and −3.2% year‑to‑date; Radio: −6.1% in May 2026 and −3.5% year‑to‑date.
- Outdoor (OOH) and online publishers grew in May 2026 by 7.5% and 12.8% respectively.
- Cinema gross revenues in May 2026 were €12.5 million, an increase of roughly 140% versus May 2025.
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German Ad Market Up in June, Linear TV Falls
Nielsen data show German media and sellers delivered €2.78 billion gross ad revenue in June 2026, a 4.1% increase year‑on‑year. Year‑to‑date the market is 1.1% ahead of 2025. However, linear television underperformed: June linear-TV gross revenue fell 7.2% versus June 2025, driven by World Cup scheduling that reduced private-broadcaster reach while ARD and ZDF saw limited monetizable benefit. Other channels show mixed results: newspapers, consumer magazines and radio remain down but improved versus May, while online sellers, Out‑of‑Home and cinema (which rose strongly) contributed gains. Nielsen figures are reported as gross values and do not reflect discounts or barter adjustments.
German Ad Market: TV Declines, Online and OOH Grow
According to Nielsen data for January to August 2026, the German advertising market grew slightly by 1.6%, driven by online marketers (+16.9%) and out-of-home (+5.8%), while linear TV declined 2.3% year-on-year. In August, TV gross revenue fell 4.9% to €977 million, marking the second month below €1 billion. Print and radio also declined: newspapers -0.7%, magazines -4.1%, radio -1.0%. Overall market reached €2.39 billion in August, up 0.9% from the prior year.
TV Sales Houses Under Heavy Pressure in July
Nielsen reported total gross advertising revenues of €2.42 billion across all media in July 2026, down 1.2% year-on-year. The decline was driven mainly by a 7.3% drop in TV gross ad revenues. Major commercial broadcaster groups were hit hardest: ProSiebenSat.1 / Seven.One Media fell 11.6% and RTL / Ad Alliance declined 6.6%. Public broadcasters were mixed (ARD Media +6.9%, ZDF Werbefernsehen -3.8%). The smaller sales house El Cartel Brothers recorded roughly €139 million in gross revenues, down 3.0% year-on-year. Other channels showed stronger growth: online (excluding Social, Search and YouTube) +13.6%, outdoor +4.2%, and cinema +14.0% (though cinema remains small in absolute terms). Nielsen figures are based on list prices and do not account for discounts or barter.
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