Netflix Spain subscribers higher than expected, says IAB Spain

A new survey by IAB Spain suggests that the number of Netflix customers in Spain could be much higher than previously supposed.

Netflix doesn’t break down its subscriber figures country by country, so up until now the best guess for its user base in Spain has been competition regulator CNMC’s 1.5 million figure. However the IAB survey suggests that around 25% of Spaniards aged 16-65 have access to the US-backed service – which equates to around 6 million.

Around 2 million of these don’t pay (this could imply some form of legal access or piracy), but even so the remaining 4 million figure (16% of 16-65s) is more than double the CNMC estimate.

Whether you go with the higher or lower figure as the best guide of Netflix’s penetration, the IAB survey puts Netflix well ahead of all other forms of paid TV entertainment in Spain. It has Movistar Plus at 9%, HBO at 8% and Amazon Prime Video at 6%. IAB Spain also says that Netflix’s catalogue is best rated by its users, with HBO next.

Netflix has invested in some Spanish original series to boost its service, such as Elite and Chicas del Cable (pictured). However the impact of Movistar Plus’ €70 million a year investment in high end original dramas series should soon start to have an impact on the system.