Jordan Bevan
TikTok is introducing new advertising products for entertainment marketers across Europe, positioning its platform as a performance channel for streaming services, film studios and publishers. The rollout coincides with the 76th Berlinale International Film Festival, where the company is highlighting the commercial influence of film and book communities active on the app.
The platform reported that in 2025, users shared an average of 6.5 million posts per day related to film and television. According to company data, at least 15 of the top 20 highest-performing cinema releases in Europe last year generated significant traction on TikTok prior to or during their theatrical runs. The figures are being used to underscore the role of social discovery in shaping box office and streaming outcomes.
To capture that demand, TikTok has launched two performance-focused ad solutions in the European market: Streaming Ads and New Title Launch.
Streaming Ads are designed for subscription platforms seeking to promote catalog content to users based on behavioral signals and engagement history. The format allows advertisers to showcase multiple titles within a single placement, either through a four-tile video carousel or an interactive media card highlighting several programs at once. The system uses interest-based targeting to surface genre-specific recommendations intended to increase subscription conversions.
New Title Launch, by contrast, is built around premiere moments. The product leverages signals such as genre preference and price sensitivity to identify users most likely to purchase cinema tickets, subscribe to a service or engage with a major release event. The tool is aimed at season debuts, tentpole films and live sports programming, where timing and audience intent are critical.
The introduction of these formats reflects a broader shift in entertainment marketing toward performance-driven social advertising, as studios and streaming platforms seek measurable return on spend.
Alongside the ad rollout, TikTok is formalizing its influence in publishing and screen adaptation through the launch of a #BookToScreen BookTok Bestseller List in partnership with market research firm Media Control. The ranking highlights titles that gained significant traction within the #BookTok community and have translated into commercial book sales and, increasingly, film and television adaptations.
The platform reported that in 2024 more than 25 million books promoted on TikTok were sold in Germany alone, generating €342 million in revenue—more than double the prior year’s volume. The data suggests that online reader communities are becoming an early indicator of adaptation potential for studios and streaming services evaluating intellectual property.
One frequently cited example is Maxton Hall, adapted from Mona Kasten’s novel. The title generated more than 120,000 posts within the TikTok community before its screen debut. Upon release, the series became one of Prime Video’s most successful non-U.S. productions, reaching number one globally within 24 hours of its second-season launch in November 2025. Physical book sales in Germany have surpassed 1.7 million copies, reflecting the feedback loop between digital fandom and traditional publishing revenue.
At Berlinale 2026, TikTok is consolidating festival-related content through dedicated hashtags and an in-app #WhatToWatch hub featuring behind-the-scenes footage, film recommendations and creator coverage from red carpet events. Selected creators have been granted access to produce festival content, further integrating influencer distribution into film marketing strategies.
The company reports more than three million combined posts under hashtags including #Berlinale and #WhatToWatch, illustrating how festival visibility now extends beyond physical venues into algorithmically distributed digital spaces.
TikTok states that four in five users say the platform influences their streaming decisions. The company is positioning this discovery dynamic as a measurable business driver rather than a purely cultural phenomenon. By pairing fandom analytics with targeted advertising infrastructure, TikTok is seeking to convert engagement into ticket sales, subscriptions and catalog viewership.
For entertainment marketers operating in a fragmented media environment, the appeal lies in concentrating both audience discovery and transactional intent within a single platform. Whether the new ad formats deliver sustained performance at scale will likely determine how aggressively studios and streaming platforms shift budgets toward TikTok in upcoming release cycles.
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