Traditional television usage has fallen as more people turn to streaming and online video. This shift is driven by the growing appeal of on-demand platforms. Data from recent reports by Kantar Media provide solid evidence of this trend, showing declines in traditional TV viewing in the most recent quarter when compared with the same period last year and across historical records. The trend highlights ongoing shifts in how audiences allocate their leisure time, with incremental gains in other types of viewing not tied to conventional broadcasts.
April, May and June saw a period influenced by both national and international events, including municipal elections, a Spanish football title race since Euro 2012, the passing of Tina Turner, and evolving storyline developments in film and global news. Despite heightened coverage, viewers did not appear satisfied with traditional broadcast performance, as the sector continued to concede ground to emerging formats and new distribution channels.
Election Board approves Atresmedia’s ‘Face to Face’ program and rejects RTVE’s request: “Discussion will spread widely”
New consumption habits
Average daily time spent with traditional television has decreased, while a modest rise in time devoted to television-based activities that originate online is evident. The shift includes streaming and internet-sourced videos such as platforms like YouTube, plus video game content, which contribute to a broader set of viewing options. In April, May and June, traditional viewing fell by a noticeable margin, while other uses rose by double-digit percentages year over year. In June, the changes followed similar patterns observed in April and May.
Similarly, the time spent on streaming services and other internet-connected apps remained a stabilizing force. These alternatives helped keep overall television use steady and even nudged it higher in May and June, with gains of roughly a few hours per month versus the same months in 2022.
Audience profile: female viewers and viewers aged 64 and older
Demographic data points to Castile-La Mancha, Asturias, and Andalusia posting the highest daily television minutes per person in the last month, with June averages around 178 minutes. The June data also show that women and viewers aged 64 and older dominated consumption, posting higher averages at 193 minutes and 328 minutes respectively.
Channel rankings
Across the last quarter and the prior 17 months, the primary national network has maintained a leading position in audience share. The top channel in the country remains comfortably ahead in overall audience metrics, averaging a double-digit share in April, May and June. The Spanish-language free-to-air channel, founded in 1989, also saw a slight pullback in key metrics, with decreases in the single-digit percentage range year over year.
Other networks experience different dynamics, including lower peak hours with some drops in audience share during June, while unique viewer counts—around 35 million across the three months—help round out the podium alongside the leading networks.
Pay television platforms like Movistar and DAZN show notable growth as well. Subscription-based viewing rose in April, May, and June, with increases of roughly 11.1%, 10.5%, and 9.5% respectively, marking a clear shift toward paid television services compared with the second quarter of 2022.
Football remains the anchor
Football continues to anchor the free-to-air schedule. The period’s most-watched broadcasts include a Copa del Rey classic in April, the tournament final between Real Madrid and Osasuna in May, and a Nations League clash between Spain and Croatia in June. These matches drew millions of viewers and illustrate how live sports still drives broad audience engagement across multiple platforms.
While broadcast rights for football are increasingly held by a mix of television channels and pay platforms, the returns from these events remain highly favorable for those platforms, underscoring football’s enduring appeal to a wide audience.