The Media Outlook 2025 largely misses the main point: the cultural and economic sovereignty of the continent, which hinges on the issue of ownership of rights to works.

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THE EUROPEAN MEDIA INDUSTRY OUTLOOK
Analysis of the European Media Industry Outlook 2025 and challenges for European cultural sovereignty.

The European Media Industry Outlook 20251 (hereinafter Media Outlook) is the second edition of the European Commission’s forward-looking exercise on the media sector. It covers audiovisual media (television, streaming, cinema), video games, XR (extended reality), and news media.  Presented as a strategic tool, it is intended to provide reliable data and forward-looking analysis to inform public policy and strengthen European competitiveness and cultural diversity.

However, careful reading reveals several significant limitations, including:
▪ The omission of the issue of intellectual property (IP), which was central to the previous edition of 20232 , and a failure to take into account the contractual power relations between producers and streaming services.
▪ Confusion between local production and rights ownership.
▪ An inappropriate analysis of the lack of visibility of European works.
▪ And finally, a questionable definition of independent production.

To read the full statement: Media Industry Outlook 2025_Joint_analysis note_21.10.2025_DEF_en