Italy: Streaming revenues double since 2020
October 22, 2026

From Branislav Pekic in Rome



Italy’s audiovisual industry reached a total turnover of €16.8 billion in 2025, marking a 3.1 per cent year-over-year increase, according to a report by the Audiovisual Producers Association (APA).

While TV continues to anchor the sector, streaming platforms are rapidly closing the distance – doubling their market share from 21 per cent in 2020 to 43 per cent today, with projections indicating online video will soon surpass linear broadcasting (both free-to-air and pay-TV) in value.


Despite top-line revenue growth, overall sector investment experienced its first contraction since 2018, falling 7.4 per cent to €2 billion. A decline in funding for scripted TV and VoD projects largely drove the drop, with TV series production falling 5.5 per cent to €740 million. Industry experts point to regulatory uncertainty, shifting public funding criteria, rising financing costs, and compressed margins as key factors complicating strategic planning for independent producers.

Unscripted content remains the backbone of network programming, accounting for over 17,000 hours of original, first-run content, with independent producers creating 59 per cent of these titles.

VoD platforms saw a 51 per cent surge in total titles and a 30 per cent increase in overall runtime hours, with factual programming and local adaptations of international game show formats driving the expansion.

The APA Report highlights the rise of microdramas – short, vertical video content designed for mobile consumption – which are now worth $14 billion globally (€12.4 billion). In Italy, mobile platforms such as ReelShort, DramaBox, NetShort and DramaWave have already secured spots among the top 15 entertainment apps by consumer spending.