Ranking of selected online video apps in Belgium, based on DAU 2020

Amazon Prime Video was significantly less popular than YouTube, Netflix, and other online video platforms in Belgium in 2020. At least according to estimates based on data tracked and provided by Airnow PLC on all available online video platforms. In terms of daily active users (DAU), the YouTube app was the most used online video app in Belgium. Netflix, for instance, saw about four times less daily activity. The VTM GO app, on the other hand, ranked in third place. This app is from the biggest commercial television station in Dutch-speaking Flanders. VTM GO had similar numbers of daily active users like Netflix yet had significantly more than the VRT NU app from Flanders' largest public TV station. When it comes to SVOD household penetration compared to other countries, Belgium was behind the Netherlands and saw a slower growth than in Luxembourg.

Belgium: the rule of two

  Belgium’s media landscape follows the cultural, linguistic and political bounds within the country. Indeed, the market can be divided into a Dutch-speaking market, especially for Flanders, and a French-speaking market, mainly for Wallonia and the Brussels-Capital Region. The most popular television stations in Flanders, for example, are completely different than TV stations with the highest audience market share in Wallonia. Flander's media consumption tends to be more oriented towards domestic sources. In Wallonia, on the other hand, the media consumption mixed French-Belgian sources with sources from abroad. Luxembourgish RTLPlay, for example, is the first app in this ranking that is more aimed towards French-speaking Belgians.

The curious case of Amazon (Prime) in Belgium

  Unlike many other European countries, Amazon and its Prime service do not see much use in Belgium and the Netherlands. Indeed, Amazon was not officially active in either country up until February 2020. In other words, there was no Amazon.be nor Amazon.nl domains until that time. Although Belgians and Dutch people could subscribe to Amazon.de, the platform lacked Dutch language support and had a limited offer of TV series. Without domestic (Dutch) language support and a limited amount of TV series, Amazon Prime saw little use in the two countries. Download figures of the Amazon Prime Video app in Belgium do suggest Amazon became somewhat more popular after its official launch. Curiously, when the coronavirus forced people to stay at home, downloads of Amazon Prime decreased.