Spain's Telecinco market share slips but remains No. 1
MADRID, Dec 30 (Reuters) - Telecinco (TL5.MC) retained its title as Spain's most-watched television channel for the fifth year running in 2008, but did so with the smallest-ever share for a No. 1 Spanish broadcaster, data showed on Tuesday.
The broadcaster, controlled by Italy's Mediaset (MS.MI), captured an 18.1 percent market share, down 2.2 percentage points from 2007 and slipping below 20 percent for the first time as new rivals upped their game, Barlovento consultancy said in a note, using data from TNSofres.
Earlier in the year, Telecinco set itself a target to maintain a 20 percent market share but later set itself a goal in a more fragmented market to simply hold on to its lead.
TV ratings are used by broadcasters as the basis of the charges they levy on advertisers.
The Barlovento consultancy said the newest channel Cuatro, run by Sogecable, a unit of Spanish media firm Prisa (PRS.MC), had its best yearly share so far of 8.6 percent after hitting 13.1 percent in July when it screened the European Cup.
La Sexta, owned by Catalan group Mediapro, also obtained its best ever share with 5.5 percent.
The most watched moment of the year was the gripping penalty shootout between Spain and Italy in the quarter finals of the European Cup, with 15.4 million viewers.
The two televised debates between Socialist Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero and his conservative opponent Mariano Rajoy ahead of Spain's March general election were watched by 13 million and 12 million people.
Spaniards watched more television this year than any previous year -- 3 hours and 47 minutes per person per day on average -- four minutes more than in 2007.
State-owned Television Espanola's Channel 1 recorded the second highest slice of the market after Telecinco with 16.9 percent, ahead of Antena 3 (A3TV.MC), although both channels reached their lowest share in their history. (Reporting by Sarah Morris; Editing by Phil Berlowitz)
