Portuguese media report shows SIC viewership lead and production quota challenges

A new report from the Entidade Reguladora para a Comunicação Social (ERC) highlights both the market performance and regulatory compliance of Portuguese television services. In terms of viewership, SIC led the generalist channels on August 25, 2026, with a 14.3% market share, followed closely by TVI at 13.1% and RTP1 at 9.3%. CMTV maintained its dominance in the cable sector with a 5.9% share.

Regarding regulatory standards, the ERC report on 2025 audiovisual production indicates that while the exhibition of Portuguese-language programming remains stable, there are increasing difficulties in meeting quotas for recent independent production. Most generalist channels met legal requirements for Portuguese-language content, with TVI recording 96.35%, SIC 91.68%, and RTP1 89.6%. Several thematic services achieved 100% Portuguese-language content, though cinema and series-focused channels continue to show lower percentages in this area.