The German media industry is set to undergo far-reaching economic changes by 2035. This is the conclusion reached in the report „The German Media Market 2035“, which was compiled by media economists Christian Zabel of the Technical University of Cologne and Ulrike Rohn of Tallinn University on behalf of ARD, ZDF and Deutschlandradio. It is based on interviews covering 51 future trends with representatives from media organisations, production companies, associations and research institutions.

The analysis sets out four future scenarios in which international technology platforms and AI applications, in particular, will increase competitive pressure on German media providers. Without effective policy measures to counter this, global tech conglomerates could further expand their market position by 2035. Private national providers, in particular, are at risk of coming under economic pressure as a result.

This development is relevant to the film and television production sector in that the report also examines the future production of German content and the economic situation of the production industry. The authors warn of a possible decline in domestic content and the loss of jobs in journalism.

As countermeasures, they recommend more effective regulation of global platforms, a better digital policy framework and closer cooperation between private and public service media. Public service broadcasting could, amongst other things, help to stabilise the media market by acting as a reliable client, cooperation partner and catalyst for innovation.