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Berlin, October 2026. People in Germany are willing to spend more on access to creator content than on a streaming service: those who would consider paying say they would spend an average of around €17 a month. A standard Netflix subscription currently costs €13.99. This is one finding from an online survey of 1,134 participants commissioned by 4based.

At the same time, the survey shows that paid digital intimacy has yet to become socially accepted. Only 33 percent of respondents would openly tell their partner that they pay for creator content. 40 percent would keep it to themselves, while a further 16 percent said their openness would depend on the content. This reluctance stands in striking contrast to expectations for the future: 60 percent think paid creator subscriptions are likely to be as normal in five years as music or video streaming is today.

A single message is almost as valuable as a month of access

Respondents place the greatest value on personal contact. 59 percent say they would be more likely to pay if they received a personal reply. 59 percent would pay for a single personal message, at an average of around €14. That makes one reply almost as valuable as a full month of access. 18 percent would pay more than €10 for one.

Accordingly, the size of an account ranks low on the list of priorities. Asked what would make a creator interesting enough to pay for, 42 percent named their personality and 28 percent the quality of their content. Having a very large following comes last, at five percent—behind a small but active community, at 14 percent, and a distinctive niche, at 11 percent.

The contradiction: Reach is considered unimportant, yet people would pay for pop stars

There is a notable gap between what respondents say and how they say they would spend their money. Although respondents say reach is largely irrelevant, when asked what kind of person they would be most likely to pay for, they primarily name traditional celebrities: musicians at 22 percent, athletes at 16 percent and actors at 15 percent, for a combined total of 53 percent. Digital formats such as streaming, reality TV, comedy and fitness together account for 22 percent. 14 percent would not pay for anyone.

“The figures show that paying is not about quantity, but about attention. A personal reply is worth almost as much to people as a whole month of access. At the same time, we can see how much embarrassment is still attached to it: two-thirds would not talk about it openly. Together, these two things describe exactly where this market stands right now,” says a 4based spokesperson.

The survey makes clear that the market for paid creator content is growing not through reach alone, but above all through genuine digital closeness. Personality, quality and direct contact matter—and people are already willing to pay more for them than they do for Netflix.