Navigating German News: Topics, Formats and Willingness to Pay

What news topics are German consumers most interested in and willing to pay for? How do their preferences differ across demographics? And which formats resonate most strongly?

These are the questions we at FT Strategies set out to answer in our latest research study, designed to dive into the evolving digital news consumption habits and preferences of German audiences.

To conduct this study, we surveyed nearly 2,000 engaged German news consumers and asked them about:

• The brands they follow and pay for
• The topics they prefer from our curated list of 17, including politics, climate, sport, fashion & beauty, business & finance, and more
• Their willingness to pay for each of these topics
• Format preferences across text, video and audio – from short-form updates to long-form explainers and live blogs
• What is missing from German news, and what they would like to see more of

We focused on Germany because it represents one of Europe’s most advanced economies, but also one of its most traditional media markets.

Trust remains anchored in legacy publishers and broadcasters, while digital-native players have struggled to gain significant market share. Yet as more brands digitise and experiment with new products, opportunities are emerging – particularly among younger audiences and those open to interactive formats and AI-powered enhancements.

We hope this study inspires you to:

• Gain a deeper understanding of German news audiences’ needs and preferences
• Identify which consumer segments are most likely to pay for your journalism
• Inform your future editorial and product strategy with data-driven insights
• Think creatively about which formats and verticals could drive future growth