Pay-TV drives Spanish audiovisual industry


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Juan Fernandez Gonzalez

| 16 December 2015




Spain's audiovisual industry invoiced over €1 billion during Q1 2015, half of which came from the pay-TV sector.



Figures published by the Comisión Nacional de los Mercados y la Competencia (CNMC) confirm the increasing importance of pay-TV in the country’s audiovisual industry, usually dominated by free-to-air (FTA) TV. Figures also show a 16.5% growth compared to the first quarter of 2014.

Between January and March 2015, audiovisual services invoiced €1,006 million in Spain, exceeding the €1 billion barrier for second consecutive quarter. Pay-TV operators invoiced €509.4 million, FTA TV €413.6 million and radio €83.3 million.

Regarding technology, DTT dominates the audiovisual scene, generating €428.8 million thanks to a growing advertising business. Satellite is the second biggest technology, invoicing €303.7 million.

But if there is a recurrent winner in the latest reports, it is IPTV. Through an extensive fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) network, IPTV services haven grown by 151.3% during last year, invoicing €129.1 million in Q1 2015.

Back to general pay-TV figures, and the CNMC report confirms the industry's changing trend. Hitting 5.41 million households by March 2015, pay-TV has continued to add subscribers since it reached its lowest point in September 2013 with 3.86 million subs. Over six in ten subscriptions are part of a convergent offer.