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Television in the Netherlands and Belgium is moving online, but not simply replacing the TV package. Viewers increasingly combine broadcaster apps and streaming with live channels delivered through cable or fiber. What “internet-first” means depends on whether you want live local channels, catch-up programs, or an on-demand catalog—and the evidence is stronger for the Netherlands and Flanders than for Belgium as a whole.
What “internet-first TV” means
Internet-first television is not one delivery method. It can mean watching a live channel through an app, streaming a program on demand, catching up after broadcast, or watching an episode before its scheduled broadcast. Those options differ from receiving linear channels through a provider’s TV package. Social video is another category, not a synonym for internet-delivered television.
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The Dutch media regulator distinguishes among linear viewing within a package, live linear channels watched online, programs viewed before broadcast, catch-up viewing, subscription streaming, pay-per-view, and social video. The distinction matters: a person may watch a broadcaster’s live channel online without giving up linear TV, and a subscription-streaming account does not establish that a household has canceled its package. Commissariaat voor de Media describes services including NPO Start, NPO Plus, NLZIET, Videoland, RTL XL, and Kijk as ways to watch ahead or catch up; catalogs, prices, and availability can change.
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The Netherlands: more online viewing, with packages still in use
The Dutch media regulator reports that people spend less time watching television channels than streaming and online video, with the shift especially pronounced among younger adults. But viewing trends are not the same as subscription counts. In the regulator’s Q4 2025 figures, the Netherlands had 2.20 million TV subscriptions over fiber, 3.39 million over cable, and 810,000 digital TV subscriptions over copper. Fiber TV subscriptions rose during that quarter while cable and copper subscriptions declined. These are subscriptions classified by delivery network, not unique households or a count of how many have cut the cord. Autoriteit Consument & Markt published the figures on 31 March 2026.
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Fiber connectivity is expanding alongside that mix: ACM reported 8.94 million activated fiber connections and 3.64 million households with a fiber internet subscription in Q4 2025. These figures indicate internet availability, not that fiber caused a move to online TV. Device ownership also provides context rather than proof of app use: 71% of Dutch households had a smart TV in the 2024 NMO Mediatrends survey.
Other measures show why no single number captures the transition. NPO reported average weekly reach of 84% for all its channels in 2025, up from 81% the year before, as well as 4.3 million NPO IDs and 923,000 NPO Plus subscribers. Those account and reach figures are not counts of unique households or evidence of package cancellation. Meanwhile, average daily viewing of television channels was 118 minutes in 2025, down from 130 minutes in 2024, according to Nationaal Media Onderzoek. That measures channel viewing; it does not quantify all online video or identify every device used.
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Belgium: distinguish Flanders from the national picture
The most detailed television-specific evidence here concerns Flanders, not all of Belgium. The Vlaamse Regulator voor de Media’s 2025 report says 41% of Flemings still watched live TV daily and describes 50,000–100,000 households cutting the cord each year. The annual cancellation range is the report’s summary, not a standalone register count. The same report points to broadcaster apps as a way to keep accessing local channels while relying less on a traditional package.
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Belgium-wide data answer different questions. The Federal Public Service Economy reported home internet access in 2024 for 94.62% of Belgian households and 99.04% of Dutch households. Connectivity does not show whether people stream television or retain a package. Deloitte Belgium’s Digital Consumer Trends 2025 release reported that six broadcaster video-on-demand services were among Belgium’s ten most-used weekly video services and that 61% of Belgians had access to paid video streaming. These are consulting-firm survey findings; the release does not provide enough methodological detail to assess them independently, and they are not official national television-delivery statistics.
Why the shift is gradual rather than a clean break
Online viewing can add convenience without removing the reasons people keep a package. A household may want a familiar set of live channels, while also using broadcaster apps for missed episodes or a streaming service for its on-demand catalog. Others may rely on apps for local programming but still watch live television every day. The Dutch subscription data and Flemish cable and viewing figures show that these habits coexist.
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- A world of free entertainment: Enjoy a huge selection of free live TV, news, sports, movies, shows, and much more—all just a click away.
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“Cord-cutting” usually means canceling a traditional TV package, not disconnecting from broadband or stopping all linear viewing. Someone who cancels a package may still watch linear channels streamed online, subscribe to separate services, or use free catch-up apps. Internet access, a smart TV, a streaming account, and a canceled TV package are separate measures and should not be treated as interchangeable signs of adoption.
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Start with the programs and channels you actually need, then check how each is delivered where you live. The Netherlands and Flanders have different service examples, and Belgium’s language regions should not be treated as one catalog or market.
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- List must-have channels and programs. Check local news, live channels, sports and other rights, language, and regional availability. A service’s name alone does not establish that it carries the channel or rights you need.
- Decide when you want to watch. For live viewing, confirm that the app streams channels at broadcast time. For missed programs, check catch-up windows; for advance viewing or a catalog, look for those specific features rather than assuming every service offers them.
- Compare the package with separate services. Consider whether a provider bundle or a combination of broadcaster apps and subscriptions better fits your viewing. No current prices are established here, so verify fees, commitments, and what is included directly with each provider.
- Check your screen before buying anything. A compatible smart TV may already have the required apps. If it does not, an HDMI streaming media player can be an alternative; VRT NWS identifies Chromecast and Apple TV as access options. Confirm that the specific app works on the device and in your region before purchase.
- Recheck availability and rights. App compatibility, catalogs, sports rights, and regional access can change. Confirm current details with the broadcaster or service, especially if local-language programming is essential.
What the evidence can—and cannot—show
The Dutch figures offer a current regulator-level view of TV subscriptions by delivery network, alongside regulator analysis of changing viewing. The strongest television-specific Belgian evidence in this set is Flemish; Belgium-wide figures cover internet access and survey-reported streaming access, not a comparable national breakdown of TV subscriptions by delivery method. The evidence supports a gradual move toward online viewing alongside continuing package use—not a uniform, completed switch across the Benelux.
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