Spain: Linear TV leads the ratings
October 30, 2026

From David Del Valle in Madrid



Linear TV continues to play a central role in Spain’s TV market, retaining a substantial share of viewing time, while pay-TV services account for almost one-third of total TV consumption.

According to Barlovento Comunicación’s September 2026 audiovisual consumption report, adults aged 18 and over spent an average of 159 minutes a day watching linear television. Total audiovisual consumption reached 277 minutes per day, or four hours and 37 minutes, with the television set accounting for 222 minutes, equivalent to 80 per cent of the total.


Viewing habits vary significantly by age, with linear TV retaining a particularly strong position among older audiences.

Among viewers aged 55 and over, daily audiovisual consumption reached six hours. TV accounted for 324 minutes of that total, including 265 minutes of linear viewing. By contrast, viewers aged 18 to 44 spent an average of just 61 minutes a day watching linear television, compared with 78 minutes consuming audiovisual content on computers, mobile phones and tablets.

Meanwhile, pay-TV accounted for one-third of total television consumption in September. Within the pay-TV viewing category, exclusive pay-TV channels represented 40.1 per cent of consumption, while FTA channels accounted for the remaining 59.9 per cent.

The growth of connected TV (CTV) nevertheless represents a significant challenge to traditional broadcasting, particularly among younger viewers.

Barlovento’s analysis of Q3 2026 found that CTV accounted for 32.4 per cent of viewing time on television sets in Spain, up 2.4 percentage points year on year. Linear TV represented 64.8 per cent, with gaming and other uses accounting for the remainder.

CTV viewing has already overtaken linear television among audiences aged 18 to 44. In the 25-to-34 age group, connected TV represented 56.4 per cent of television-set viewing.