Television industry in Portugal - statistics & facts
Traditional television is highly popular in Portugal despite the emergence of streaming, which is in part due to the country’s aging population. As of 2023, Portugal was one of the European Union (EU) countries where the largest share of people watched TV every day and trusted this medium. Moreover, Portugal ranked one of the lowest in the EU by online television reach.
The popularity of traditional television in Portugal does not mean that video-on-demand services are not common, especially among the younger generations. Subscribers to these platforms mostly use them to watch entertainment content, such as films and series.
Television remains a structural cultural medium in Portugal, and one that has been turned into a family activity, as most people with access to television belong to households with at least one child and specially watch television on Sundays.
Forms of television access in Portugal
Access to television, both as a digital terrestrial service and as subscription TV, is widespread throughout Portugal. Pay TV has a higher penetration, and, as household income rises, so does the reach of this medium. Most Portuguese access it via fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) and enjoy a range of over a hundred channels, with the telecommunications provider MEO having the highest share of subscriptions.The popularity of traditional television in Portugal does not mean that video-on-demand services are not common, especially among the younger generations. Subscribers to these platforms mostly use them to watch entertainment content, such as films and series.
Portuguese content is the most broadcast on TV
In Portugal, each year is marked by a competitive dispute for the highest share of viewers and average audience between the free-to-air (FTA) channels. In 2023, SIC conquered these achievements, with a share of 15 percent. The majority of the television programs broadcast on FTA channels are of Portuguese origin; the United States is the most common foreign country whose productions air on Portuguese TV. Even though entertainment content was the most-aired in 2023, news stories were also a popular genre on FTA channels, with over 3,000 hours broadcast.Television in Portugal: a family activity
Cable television channels had the highest television share in Portugal in 2023, especially between 02:30 a.m. and 07:30 a.m. Despite the majority of television programming belonging to the film and series formats, football matches achieved the highest TV audience in 2023, as the top 10 most-watched programs were all football games.Television remains a structural cultural medium in Portugal, and one that has been turned into a family activity, as most people with access to television belong to households with at least one child and specially watch television on Sundays.
