Spain's telecoms lose €1 million daily as streaming boom reshapes market

A CNMC report shows Spain’s audiovisual sector grew 2.2% in 2025 to a record €24.7 billion, but the three major telecom operators – Telefónica, Vodafone and MasOrange – each lost about €1 million per day. The loss is attributed to the rapid expansion of Romania‑based Digi, which captured a 13% share of fixed‑line broadband with 2.6 million lines and 4.4% of the national fixed‑phone market, combined with a surge in streaming and on‑demand content.

Streaming services now account for €30.3 million of sector revenue and 37.9 million paid subscriptions, meaning 65.7% of Spanish households use a streaming platform. Linear TV usage fell to a historic low of 162 minutes per person per day, and advertising revenue dropped 2.5% to €1.98 billion. While ad spend shifted to digital, pay‑TV and radio saw growth. Total sector investment fell 9.8% year‑on‑year, yet employment rose 3.3% to 63 000 workers, the highest in a decade.