"In a mature Belgian streaming market, incremental reach is becoming the real crux of the matter"
According to WPP Media’s Belgian Video Monitor 2026, 63.5 per cent of Belgians aged between 18 and 59 have at least one paid streaming subscription. This figure is falling: consumers are managing their subscriptions more critically and are increasingly looking for value for money. What does this mean for the competitive position of local video platforms vis-à-vis international players, who are stepping up the race for audiences by rolling out ad tiers?
With third-party ad-supported subscriptions – cheaper options funded by advertising – video platforms hope to reduce churn. And it’s working: 17 per cent of streaming subscribers now have at least one ad-supported subscription. That’s an increase of 6 percentage points compared with last year. Price-conscious consumers seem particularly drawn to subscriptions with a significantly lower entry price. The presence of adverts is not seen as a barrier. For advertisers too, this SAVOD (Subscription Advertising Video On Demand) model appears to open up new opportunities: the more adverts that can be shown and the wider the audience reached, the greater the reach… doesn’t it?
“The reality is more nuanced,” explains Quinten Galle, Business Development Manager for Audio & Video at DPG Media Advertising. “To think that the appeal of third-party adverts automatically generates additional reach for a video campaign is an oversimplification. In a fragmented video market, the real challenge is no longer reach, but incremental reach. The real value lies in the ability to reach, via a new channel, additional viewers who have not yet been exposed to an advert. The debate should therefore not focus on whether or not to be present on every video platform. It should focus on net additional reach, audience attention, the quality of exposure and the effectiveness of the video campaign. Only then can we speak of a real benefit for advertisers.”
Local platforms such as VTM GO continue to perform very well, as is also shown by WPP Media’s Streaming Monitor. 76 per cent of BVOD (Broadcaster Video On Demand) users watch via a smart TV. Not primarily on a smartphone, but on a large screen via a streaming app.
At DPG Media Advertising, we bring together a number of strengths that cater to these new viewing behaviours in Full CTV. Every month, we reach 3.5 million unique Belgian viewers on the big screen. With this massive audience, we have by far the largest advertising-supported Full CTV audience in Belgium. This is a digital reach that global players cannot easily match.
Full Connected TV - 2 min watch
Added to this is our premium broadcast content. ‘Got Talent’, ‘L’amour est dans le pré’: this autumn is set to be all about binge-watching on DPG Media Advertising’s video platforms.
Reach and content form the foundation, but it is above all the additional technical features that make video advertising with DPG Media Advertising both intelligent and accessible.
Over 300 targeting segments: targeted advertising based on socio-demographic data and behaviour, including exclusive retail data thanks to partnerships with Carrefour and Tom&Co, amongst others.
Flexible buying via DPG Media’s Ad Manager: take control yourself and buy TV campaigns just as easily, quickly and flexibly as online advertising.
Free engage ads: innovative Full CTV formats (such as on-screen QR codes) that lower the barrier to interaction, without any additional production costs for the brand.
Demonstrable impact with Brandfacts: free brand lift studies (in collaboration with Brand Metrics) to prove the campaign’s effectiveness in black and white.
Would you like to find out how we can bring your media campaign to life with powerful video content?
Source: The Belgian Streaming Market at a Crossroad, WPP Media, 2026.