Based on the Media Authority’s own analyses from last year and on research commissioned by the NMHH, the report provides a comprehensive representation of current developments in the media market, with credible data supporting democratic publicity. The NMHH aims to provide fact-based analyses to help raise awareness of the users.

According to the publication, the majority of Hungarian news consumers informed themselves from multiple sources in 2024 as well: more than 80% of internet users aged 16–75 followed content that influenced public affairs and public opinion through some type of media – most of them through social media sites and online news sites.

One of the key findings of the Media Market Report is that only half of social media users check the veracity of information before sharing it, and a fifth of users do not check the authenticity of the content they share at all. At the same time, Hungarian media consumers show a higher level of activity on social media platforms than the European average, with 81% active participation in 2024, far above the EU average of 65%.

According to the chapter on digital child protection in the publication, the rise of online media has fundamentally transformed the everyday life of childhood. Based on self-reported responses, young people’s leisure screen time on weekdays stagnates at a similar level as during the Covid period, but significantly increases at weekends: there is an increase of nearly half an hour in the total sample and almost an hour increase in the 7–8-year-old age group compared to the 2020 data. The report reveals that parents’ primary fears about the online space are that their children become victims of cyberbullying, encounter harmful content, e.g. violent content, or download viruses to their devices.

The chapter on the uptake of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the media market points out, among other things, that digital tools and AI-based solutions have democratised content production, triggering a new wave of creativity in social media, and making smaller content creators more competitive. At the same time, the new technology also drastically increases the risk of disinformation, fraud and deepfake. Research shows that the mere existence of AI-based counterfeiting methods can undermine public trust in the authenticity of online content.

Among the media service segments, the audiovisual market has seen a further strengthening of non-linear services, while streaming services, originally operating exclusively on a subscription model, have shifted towards the traditional TV business model in search of additional revenue opportunities. This phenomenon could lead to a decline in national audiovisual content, as the programming strategy of global players is less focused on the content needs of smaller language markets.

The report shows that in Hungary radio broadcasting, which started 100 years ago this year, continues to be popular: last year, around seven million listeners tuned in to a Hungarian channel every week, spending an average of almost four hours a day listening to their sets – the same amount of time as in the previous year. At the same time, demand for online radio and podcast channels continued to grow.

Meanwhile, both print and online media are struggling to retain readership: by 2024, only 44% of Hungarians over the age of 16 pick up a newspaper regularly, and readership of online media has also declined as an increasing number of people consume news through apps and social media platforms.

In the advertising market, in line with global trends, the composition of advertising spend in Hungary has been shifting in favour of digital advertising for several years, while the share of global platforms in the online advertising market has reached two-thirds. In 2024, the total advertising market in Hungary grew in real terms for the first time in five years, increasing by 7.6% compared to the previous year.

The report underlines that access to native language media remains of particular importance in preserving the identity of Hungarian communities beyond state borders. Research shows that our compatriots living abroad stick to their mother tongue and identity in the online media environment, so a high proportion of respondents from abroad in Transylvania, Upper Hungary and Vojvodina visit Hungarian-language websites.

This year, the publication is again supplemented by a number of shorter articles that complement the main chapters, each highlighting an interesting phenomenon or context and providing an insight into the complex processes of the digital media sector.

This autumn, for the fourth time, the NMHH is publishing its report analysing the domestic media market from a data-driven perspective, with the aim of contributing to the professional dialogue. The Media Market Report 2025 is available on the NMHH website in PDF and online formats.