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Paid streaming is mainstream in Ireland, but the viewing landscape is not a simple contest between global subscription apps. International services sit alongside broadcaster players such as RTÉ Player, while audiences also continue to watch live television. The result is a mixed market: the useful question is which services fit a household’s viewing habits, not which one supposedly “wins.”
How large is Ireland’s streaming market?
In 2025, 71% of Irish internet users aged 16 and over said they used paid film, series or sports streaming services, two percentage points more than in 2024. The Central Statistics Office (CSO) measure excludes free online streaming and on-demand services, so it describes paid use rather than all digital viewing. Among internet users in households with children, the share was 82%, up five percentage points year on year. CSO: Household Digital Consumer Behaviour 2025
A separate Ipsos B&A survey offers another view, but it should not be treated as a direct continuation of the CSO series. In Techscape 2025, 76% of 1,005 adults aged 16 and over reported subscribing to any paid streaming service. The different survey methods and question scopes mean the 71% and 76% figures are not like-for-like. Ipsos B&A: Techscape 2025
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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minutePwC Ireland estimated the country’s video-on-demand (VOD) market at €334 million in 2025. Its reported breakdown was €280 million for subscription VOD (SVOD), €30 million for advertising VOD (AVOD) and €25 million for transactional VOD (TVOD). The components total €335 million, a difference consistent with rounding; the figures are PwC estimates, not audited platform receipts. PwC forecasts a €428 million VOD market in 2030, with a 5.1% compound annual growth rate from 2025 to 2030. That is a market forecast, not a promise that every service or subscriber count will grow at the same pace. PwC Ireland: Entertainment & Media Outlook 2026–2030
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Why Ireland’s streaming picture is more than subscriptions
Subscription platforms are only one part of the choice. ComReg identifies services including Netflix, Apple TV, Disney, Amazon Prime, NOW, RTÉ Player and Virgin Media Player. These services can be reached through smart TVs, internet-enabled set-top boxes and other devices; there is no single hardware route that every viewer must use. ComReg: Broadcasting Transmission Services Market Analysis and Final Decision
Broadcaster players bring catch-up and domestic public-service programming into the same connected-TV environment. RTÉ reported 157 million streams on RTÉ Player in 2025, 10% more than the previous year, while time spent watching rose 17%. RTÉ described viewing across national events, Irish and international series, and box sets. These are RTÉ’s own service figures; they do not establish how its audience compares with any global subscription platform. RTÉ: 2025 viewing results
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- No more juggling remotes: Power up your TV, adjust the volume, and control your Roku device with one remote. Use your voice to quickly search, play entertainment, and more.
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Public-service content has a different purpose from a subscription catalogue: policy material describes it in terms that include Irish culture, music, language, history, heritage, society and sport. That remit helps explain why a broadcaster player can matter to viewers even when they already subscribe to international services. The Department of Culture, Communications and Sport’s October 2025 document is a bill, so it should not be read as proof that every proposed provision is current law. Department of Culture, Communications and Sport: Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill
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What the figures do—and do not—say about viewing habits
Survey figures can indicate which services people report using, but they are not platform subscriber counts or market shares. In Ipsos B&A’s 2025 survey of adults aged 16 and over, 64% reported subscribing to Netflix, 33% to Amazon Prime, 28% to Disney+, and 10% each to Apple TV and Paramount+. The percentages are self-reported survey results, not a directly comparable ranking of each platform’s share of Irish viewing or revenue. In the same survey, 46% used catch-up TV services; that category combines services and devices in the survey wording, so it is not an RTÉ Player-only figure. Ipsos B&A: Techscape 2025
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Nor has streaming made live broadcaster television disappear. ComReg cites average broadcaster-TV viewing on a TV set of 2 hours 30 minutes a day in 2024, down from 2 hours 58 minutes in 2020. Of daily broadcaster-TV viewing, 84% was live and 16% time-shifted. Those measurements cover broadcaster television on a TV set, not all video watched on every device. ComReg: Broadcasting Transmission Services Market Analysis and Final Decision
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to choose services for your household
There is no evidence here for a single best service for everyone in Ireland. Compare options against your own viewing and setup, and check the service’s current Republic of Ireland terms before subscribing: prices, catalogues, sports rights and device support change.
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- Check the plan and total cost. Confirm the current Irish price, plan conditions, advertising, and whether the plan recurs or is a limited offer.
- Match the catalogue to what you watch. Look for the films, series, Irish programming or box sets your household actually wants, rather than choosing on a broad service label.
- Separate live sport from on-demand viewing. If live matches or events matter, verify the relevant rights and which plan or bundle provides access.
- Check the devices you already own. Confirm that the app works on your TV, phone, streaming player or internet-enabled set-top box before paying. A separate media player may help if a TV lacks a supported app, but it is not a general requirement.
- Look for bundle overlap. If a service is included with an existing TV, broadband or other package, compare the bundle’s terms with standalone access rather than paying twice.
- Understand cancellation and access rules. Check how billing, cancellation and any bundle access work so you know what happens when you stop or switch.
Market growth does not reveal whether Irish households are adding subscriptions or rotating between them. A practical comparison should therefore focus on what is available now, what the household will watch, and how easily it can access and leave each service.
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