Netflix is going through a great moment in Spain, and the statistics support it. The streaming platform has been at the top of the ranking of home audiences, surpassing YouTube and other platforms. But also, putting the available pay TV alternatives in check.
Kantar Media has published a very interesting breakdown on the distribution of audiences in Spain in December 2023. The study has focused on the consumption of content from the television, where Netflix has managed to surpass YouTube as the preferred option by the public.
Although online platforms continue to be widely surpassed by linear TV consumption, audience distribution reveals that Netflix has had an enviable end to the year in the Spanish market.
According to Kantar Media, 83.8% of the audience has turned to traditional television consumption. Of that figure, 77.8% was brought together by conventional TV channels. While 6% corresponded to pay TV alternatives.
For their part, online video services captured 16.2% of the TV audience in Spanish homes last December. Netflix has had the largest share, capturing 5.1% of the audience and surpassing YouTube, which came in second place with 4.2%. Further behind are Amazon Prime Video (2.5%), Disney+ (1.3%) and HBO Max (0.6%). The remaining 2.6% has been segmented into other similar proposals, which is why Kantar has grouped them in the “Other” section.
Netflix surpasses YouTube and puts pressure on pay TV options in Spain
As we previously indicated, Kantar Media’s analysis focuses on televisions and connected televisions. Therefore, when we talk about Netflix having surpassed YouTube in audiences in Spain, we must keep in mind that it is on that type of device. The study does not include consumption on computers, smartphones and tabletswhere the Google service surely has much higher consumption levels.
But beyond being the preferred platform for Spaniards to access online content from their television, it is very interesting that Netflix is placing itself above pay TV options.
It is true that pay TV has captured 6% of the December audience, compared to 5.1% for Netflix. But it is also a fact that what Kantar presents is unified data from all operators who today provide this service in Spain. And considering how fragmented the market is, it makes sense to think that none of the available alternatives will accumulate as much audience as Netflix.
Let’s put it in context. In October 2023, Movistar Plus+ had 3.42 million subscribers in Spain. They were followed by Vodafone TV (1.42 million) and Orange TV (1.3 million), to mention the three most important proposals. Even with Movistar being the strongest player in the segment, it is clear that, hopefully, Today it includes no more than half of that 6% of the public that leans towards pay TV.
Therefore, what Netflix has achieved in Spain, being more viewed than YouTube on televisions, and putting subscription TV options in check, should not be taken lightly. It will be interesting to see if the platform manages to sustain and expand its leadership in the Spanish market throughout 2024.