Linear television – the conventional kind that broadcasts a free-to-air schedule – reached its highest share in June, accounting for 79% of audiovisual consumption. The data, measured by the consultancy Kantar, is complex but reflects two trends: one, that television has not only not died, but that It is culturally relevant (and more so during sporting events, such as the Champions League or the European Championship); two, which Platforms show signs of stagnation in Spain, at least in terms of consumption on the big screen.
“Kantar began to publish data on audiovisual consumption of normal and connected television in December 2023. It has only been a few months,” explains Alejandro Rincón, strategy director of the audience consultancy Dos30. “Until then There was no data that mixed television consumption (Antena3, Telecinco, etc.) with that of Youtube, Twitch and that of Netflixdata that will mix everything you see on TV.”
Historically, television audiences have been measured by Audimeters placed on televisions in 5,720 Spanish homes which is managed by Kantar itself. In 2021, the panellist also launched a digital audience meter that measures, in a sample of households, the consumption of the rest of the video on-line. With both measurements he estimates How much do people consume conventional television at home and how much do platforms consume?always through the television (and not other screens). The platforms only provide data on viewing hours for each content, so this system allows for a more global idea.
According to Kantar data, Free-to-air television had a 79% share in Junecompared to the combined 16.9% achieved by the platforms and 4.2% by pay-TV. This is the highest figure since data has been available (since December). The share of free-to-air television has been experiencing slight increases month by month, while pay-TV has fallen from 6% to 4.2% in this half year. For its part, no platform grows: Netflix is stuck at 5.1%, Prime Video is down to 2%, Disney is down to 0.9%, and Max is at 0.6%.
“The increase in television has to do with the Eurocup“says Elena Neira, an expert in audiovisual distribution and professor at the UOC. “And also Wimbeldon and other events, which strongly encourage linear consumption. In general, Platform consumption decreases in summer. But we must also take into account that the platforms have a lot of mobile consumption. In other studies, the shares have nothing to do with it.” Neira gives the example of the monthly report by Nielsen in the United States, which using a similar methodology (what people watch on their home television) gives a 40% share to the platforms, 27% to cable television and 21% to free-to-air television.
“People keep going looking for television for current events and breaking news,” says Neira. Beyond the details of what the data includes or does not include, the expert believes that they are “a very clear reflection” that the grid “is not dead at all” and that television has “extraordinary capillarity.” “We have seen this with the Euro Cup. The platforms have not made major releases these months. It is like the cinema, which avoids these dates,” she adds. “And the same thing will happen during the Olympics.”
Content saturation
One of the reasons for the stagnation of platforms could be, say those consulted, the saturation of supply. “We measured platforms and there are more than fifty,” says Rincón. “Not everyone can afford so many subscriptions. In Spain, the average citizen has 2.6 platforms subscribed to and most of them are shared accounts. On the other hand, people also don’t have much time during the day and in the end they turn on football or Eurovision. The platforms sell very well the idea that everyone is consuming their series, But in reality consumption is minimal and free linear television is still the main channel. In twenty years it may not be the same, but right now it is a residual consumption.”
To explain the cultural relevance of each business, Rincón gives an example of where each one is advertised. “You will never see an Antena 3 ad on Prime Video, but you will see the other way around. In the end, platforms have to resort to television to make themselves known. and approach its model by looking for successful programs and formats that have already been on television.” In this sense, there is not only the example of Triumph operation —which was born on Spanish Television and whose last edition was broadcast by Prime— but series such as Sunrise either Between the landswhich were broadcast on TV and then moved to platforms.
“Platforms want to have more cultural relevance,” adds Neira. “Now we no longer talk about a fragmented audience, but rather a hyper-fragmented one. We came from the culture of counter-programming: it seemed that if you were not watching one channel, you were necessarily watching the other. Now there are many more enemies. Both platforms and television stations have their own cultural phenomena, but in the last three years it has been observed that they are increasingly ephemeral and fleeting. Three years ago everyone was talking about Squid Gamethere is nothing like that now. Consumption has accelerated a lot.”
For this expert, however, it is matter of time. “Generational change is inevitable. Just as television channels like TV3 have created on-demand television to connect with audiences who do not watch television, “Platforms are making the same journey in reverse.”