In 2022, the Atresmedia group solidified its leadership in the Spanish television market after a year of deliberate, strategic moves. Driven by strong performance from Antena 3, the group moved its flagship channel to the forefront of audience share and reinforced its central role in mainstream entertainment. The year reshaped competitive dynamics, with Atresmedia displaying clear stability at the top while rival networks faced tougher trends that tempered their overall share trajectories.
From its base in San Sebastián de los Reyes, the group closed the year with a market share of 27.2 percent. Mediaset faced a challenging year, recording a 26.2 percent share, a figure that underscored its weakest historical performance to date. Antena 3 finished the year with a historic high, achieving the highest audience share at 13.9 percent since 2009, while Telecinco saw a downturn, posting 12.4 percent. The decline occurred despite ongoing efforts to refresh content, and the year also saw leadership transitions that steered the channel’s strategic direction.
With the arrival of Alessandro Salem at the helm in January, Telecinco pursued a path to reclaim its earlier peak. While the morning block still drew the largest audience for the channel, broader audience trends showed Antena 3 gaining traction in post-dinner hours, afternoons, and prime time. This resurgence came from a balanced mix of fiction, news, and entertainment that resonated with viewers across dayparts.
Turkish dramas continued to be a strong brand element for Antena 3, complemented by successful releases on Atresplayer Premium such as Mentiras and Alba. The year’s major programming event, Boom, captured attention with the addition of prominent presenter Sonsoles Ónega, energizing the afternoon block and opening fresh avenues for daytime news and updates.
News programming remained a staple alongside entertainment, with formats like Pasapalabra, the Antena 3 Noticias news bloc, and El Hormiguero driving audience engagement. Prime time featured a robust slate, including Your Face Sounds Familiar, El Programa de Ana Rosa, and other popular formats, reflecting a strategy that blended game shows, reality-adjacent formats, and contemporary entertainment to keep viewers engaged across the day.
The rise of Atresmedia’s leadership followed years of strategic program diversification, moving away from a single-genre focus. The shift contrasted with Mediaset’s emphasis on heart and reality formats, signaling a broader public preference for diverse programming. Industry observers noted that audiences were seeking varied content lines and less repetition of traditional formats, a trend Atresmedia capitalized on to secure its competitive edge during the year.
Leading the charge was a leadership team guided by Javier Bardaji, who oversaw Atresmedia until mid-2022 before transitioning to chief executive of the group. His strategic direction over the past decade helped position free-to-air television at the pinnacle of audience interest in 2022, highlighting the importance of adaptive leadership in a fast-moving media landscape. The year also underscored laSexta’s central role, averaging around 6.1 percent audience share and outperforming Cuatro for the ninth consecutive year. Although laSexta slowed somewhat compared with 2021, it remained a trusted information source amid a turbulent news cycle, reinforcing the group’s identity as a credible, well-rounded media conglomerate. This performance underscored the value of stable news and information alongside entertainment offerings for broad audience reach. Attribution: Atresmedia annual overview.