YouTube debuts European Creator Premieres to challenge German prime-time TV
YouTube held its first European Creator Premieres event in Berlin, showcasing five exclusive German creator shows to brand decision-makers and agency partners. This initiative positions creator content as a prime-time alternative to traditional television, aiming to foster brand integration and advertising opportunities for the creators. YouTube highlighted data on its Smart TV viewership in Germany to emphasize its competitive standing.
Key Takeaways
- Five German creator-led shows from talent like Steffen Henssler and Jasmin Gnu were announced for late 2026 and 2027.
- Smart TV viewership in Germany has reached 21 million monthly users, according to Gemius data.
- New brand integration options include 'partnership boosts' that convert organic creator content and Shorts into paid advertisements.
- Influencer agency Intermate Media is already developing brand concepts for the slated series, which range from cooking to automotive casting shows.
Why It Matters
YouTube is moving beyond short-form social video to compete directly for linear TV's prime-time ad budgets. By packaging creator content into 'shows' with predictable schedules and high production values, it provides a structured environment for conservative brand spend. This strategy addresses the fragmentation of the German market, where linear TV viewing time fell by 7.7% in 2025. This pivot places YouTube in direct competition with local broadcasters' ad-supported tiers and FAST services. Watch for whether these high-touch integrations drive higher CPMs than traditional mid-roll inventory as the shows roll out through Q2 2027.
Additional Context
The expansion to Europe follows a strategy established at YouTube’s U.S. Brandcast and Creator Premieres in late 2025. Per Tubefilter, May 2026, YouTube has recently positioned itself as the top distrubutor of video in the U.S. across broadcast, cable, and streaming. This dominance is increasingly driven by a shift to the living room; Digital i reported in June 2026 that YouTube's share of viewing time on TV sets rose to nearly 34% by the end of 2025, while mobile usage declined. This trend is mirrored in Germany, where the Smart TV has become a primary access point for long-form creator content.
At the same time, traditional German media is facing significant fiscal displacement. Per VAUNET, May 2026, traditional TV advertising revenue in Germany fell by 9.2% in 2025, while in-stream video advertising revenue grew by over 22%. Global tech platforms like Alphabet and Meta are projected to capture 72% of all in-stream video ad revenue in the German market by 2026. This market pressure has forced local broadcasters to adapt; for instance, AGF Videoforschung integrated Amazon Prime Video into its national audience measurement system in November 2025 to create a unified view of the fragmented landscape.
YouTube’s emphasis on creator 'studios' also aligns with global shifts where top-tier talent is treated like traditional production houses. At Brandcast 2026 in New York, YouTube CEO Neal Mohan reiterated that creators are the 'new stars and studios,' a sentiment now being exported to the DACH region. This shift is critical as research from VideoWeek in October 2025 indicates that while linear TV still holds the highest daily reach in Germany at 69%, its dominance is rapidly eroding among younger demographics who average 3.5 streaming services per week.
Read full article at netinfluencer.com
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