Crowdfunding has become an important form of support for online newsrooms

For traditional media outlets, it is still common practice for consumers to pay for content by buying books or cinema tickets or subscribing to newspapers or cable TV. However, for online media, free access has become the norm and newsrooms can fund their operations mainly from revenues from advertising on their own platforms. This business model is threatened by social media and video-sharing sites which have now become the primary platform for the consumption of news and other edited content, reducing the reach of newsrooms’ own platforms.

This is confirmed by the NMHH’s 2025 Internet User Survey where 21% of internet users aged 16 and over said that the content on public affairs they most recently read or watched was on online news sites or magazines. However, a much higher proportion of internet users, 36%, encountered such content on social media sites. Other sources included video sharing, search and news aggregator sites as well es recommendations from friends. Looking ahead, 16 to 20-year-olds are moving further away from newsrooms’ own platforms, with 45% of them using social media sites, 16% using video sharing sites and only 14% using online news sites as their primary source of serious content.

Seeking alternative sources of funding, online newsrooms can reach out directly to their own audience and ask for financial support. This can be done through a strictly subscription-based model, where some or all of the content is available only to subscribers, or they can ask for voluntary support from their readers, viewers and listeners. Whichever solution is chosen, crowdfunding assumes significant commitment from the audience or, rather, regular readers.

According to the NMHH’s Internet User Survey, in November 2025, 17% of Hungarian internet users aged 16 or over said they had directly supported online content providers in the previous 12 months. This represents a paying base of around 1.2 million people. The study also looked at the types of content supported by donations and the types of support: 14% supported online news sites or magazines, while 8% supported audiovisual content such as video channels, vlogs, podcasts or online radio stations.

Internet news sites and magazines were mostly supported by donating 1% of personal income tax, making one-off donations and buying subscriptions, while regular donations were less popular. For online news portals, the study shows that the more time readers spend consuming content available there, the more willing they are to pay for it directly. Those with higher levels of education or in a more comfortable financial situation are more open to giving support. However, gender and age have no effect when it comes to supporting news sites.

For audiovisual media, one-off donations and subscriptions were the most common forms of support. For video channels and podcasts, it is also shown that those who spend a lot of time consuming such media content are, understandably, more likely to support them. Age is also an important factor in this case as young people are more willing to support audiovisual content producers. For example, 19% of 16 to 20-year-olds made donations, compared to the 8% average among internet users.

Based on the findings of the study, online media crowdfunding in Hungary is still a complementary component rather than a sustainable source of revenue in its own right. Although there is an established and committed supporter base, its size and composition limit newsrooms in widely relying on direct funding from their audience.

Related content

categorymarket researches

Contains a downloadable document

Internet Usage by Individuals 2025 – report summary

15 April 2026