Leading television channels in Spain 2021, by audience share

Telecinco, owned by the media group Mediaset, ranked as the most watched television station in Spain, holding nearly 15 percent of the total audience share in 2021. Atresmedia’s Antena 3 came in second, taking up 13.8 percent of the total audience share. Ranked by net income, the leading Spanish television companies were Mediaset and Atresmedia, with approximately 181 mllion euros and 36 million euros respectively in 2020.

Spanish television viewer profile and trends

The average person in Spain watched 207.7 minutes of television a day, according to the latest surveys in 2021. This figure has however gradually dwindled, since the peak of daily television hours was registered in 2003 at 245.6 minutes per person on average. The Spanish television audience saw a downward trend over the past 20 years, presumably due to the introduction of the new media devices such as smartphones, as well as other viewing options.

Television advertising

The television audience may be turning their heads to other type of media, but the advertising expenditure on this medium is on the rise in Spain, registering approximately 2.14 billion euros in 2017, although it was expected to start declining and reach figures of approximately two billion euros in 2024.