Netflix vs. ARD: who has more money?
The radio license fee (sometimes also called “GEZ”) brings in a lot of money every year for ARD, ZDF and other public broadcasters. At the same time, Netflix has become a streaming giant in recent years that is becoming increasingly popular. Which of the media giants actually has the larger budget?
Let’s first take a look at Netflix, where access in this country is available from 7.99 euros per month. The selection of self-produced and externally produced content is impressive (“Stranger Things”, “Orange is the New Black”, “Squid Game” etc.) and free of advertising. It is estimated that Netflix will have around $ 10.8 billion in 2020 for in-house productions and licensed content issued. In 2021, according to analysts, the value rose to around $ 13.6 billion (Source: Variety), which corresponds to around 12 billion euros. Mind you, that’s just the budget. The company’s sales were most recently around 25 billion US dollars (2020, see Statista).
Netflix: More money than ARD
Where does Netflix, which was founded in California in 1997, compare with traditional television companies? Although these are also large, they can by no means keep up with the global US corporation. A look at the numbers: The Total income from broadcasting contributions (2020 for ARD, ZDF, Deutschlandradio and state media authorities) were included around 8.1 billion euros (please refer Annual report 2020). For comparison: The British broadcaster BBC had to get by on “only” 5 billion euros in 2021 (Source: Statista / BBC). However, personnel costs (and pensions) must also be paid from this income – they must therefore not be equated with the above-mentioned budget for in-house productions and licensed content. Conclusion: Netflix is significantly larger and financially stronger than the public broadcaster.
Streaming is a billion dollar business
The number of Netflix subscribers was 214 million (worldwide) at the end of 2020, the company has long been worth more than the fast food giant McDonalds.
Finally, it is worth taking a look at other TV and streaming providers: As you can see in the graphic, Netflix is also at the very top here. At the top there is a competition for supremacy, the two big competitors are currently Amazon (“Prime Video”) and Disney (“Disney +”). You can find our assessment in a large comparison:
Will Apple TV + or YouTube Premium one day overtake Netflix? Is Sky the provider with the best films? Can ARD productions (“Tatort”, “Quizduell” etc.) keep up with content from Netflix and Amazon? Write us your opinion in the comments.
