Television consumption in Hungary - statistics & facts
Television is undoubtedly the most widely consumed type of media in Hungary, reaching 7.85 million viewers in 2024. In the same year, Hungarians spent nearly seven hours watching television on workdays and almost eight hours on weekends. This suggests that watching TV is not only the most popular form of media consumption but also the leading leisure activity in the country. Moreover, in the case of older generations, the amount of time spent in front of the television screen was even higher.
It is unlikely that the popularity of television will decline in the near future, even if new ways of video consumption, such as on-demand streaming are gaining ground. The penetration rate of traditional TV and home video is forecast to total over 80 percent in 2030.
What do Hungarians watch on television?
In the first quarter of 2025, entertainment channels recorded the highest viewing time share, reaching over 29 percent. During the same period, series, and movies channels accounted for around 16 and 10 percent of the broadcasting time, respectively. When asked about their favorite genres, nearly half of Hungarian television viewers chose documentaries in 2024, while the news and weather forecasts followed in the ranking. Quizes and game shows were also popular with almost 40 percent of the respondents.Which are the leading television service technologies?
In 2025, Magyar Telekom was the market-leading television service provider, with a nearly 38 percent share. It was followed by Digi and Vodafone, accounting for a market share of 25 and 18 percent, respectively. In the same year, the share of digital television subscriptions reached 86 percent. Internet protocol television (IPTV) was the most popular television service technology, counting over 1.3 million subscriptions. Digital video broadcasting – cable (DVBC) ranked second with 1.1 million subscriptions, followed by analog with 478,000 subscribers.It is unlikely that the popularity of television will decline in the near future, even if new ways of video consumption, such as on-demand streaming are gaining ground. The penetration rate of traditional TV and home video is forecast to total over 80 percent in 2030.
