Spanish Children's TV Audience Crashes as Streaming Becomes Dominant in 2025
In 2025, Spanish children's TV channels face a sharp decline as streaming platforms dominate young audiences' entertainment preferences.
- • Spanish children's TV viewership has plummeted over 15 years, with ClanTV dropping from 258,000 to 38,000 daily viewers.
- • Disney Channel ended its open broadcasts in early 2025, moving completely to Disney+ streaming.
- • Children prefer on-demand, instant content over fixed TV schedules, according to experts.
- • Parents are concerned about screen time effects and are adopting viewing restrictions for children.
Key details
Children's television channels in Spain have experienced a dramatic decline in audience numbers over the past 15 years, culminating in a structural shift away from traditional TV to streaming platforms by 2025. Channels like ClanTV saw daily viewership plunge from approximately 258,000 in 2010 to just 38,000 in 2025, while Boing's numbers fell from 164,000 to about 60,000 in the same period. Experts attribute this decline to the rise of streaming services and continuous scroll apps that provide children with instant gratification and personalized content on demand, replacing the fixed programming of linear television.
A significant example of this shift is Disney Channel, which in earlier years attracted a substantial audience, attaining peaks of over 4% audience share during special broadcasts. However, in early 2025, Disney Channel ceased its open broadcasting, transitioning entirely to Disney+ and emphasizing digital streaming access.
Psychologists have noted that children’s entertainment consumption now favors immediate discovery over scheduled programming, reflecting their altered content preferences. Meanwhile, parents are expressing concerns about the effects of increased screen time on children's behavior and emotional well-being. Many families have adopted routines to limit screen exposure, carefully select content, and reintroduce classic shows to mitigate overstimulation.
This fundamental change in viewing habits is prompting broadcasters and advertisers in Spain to reconsider their strategies, shifting focus away from traditional linear TV models toward subscription-based streaming platforms offering tailor-made content. The 2025 outlook suggests that no children’s television channel in Spain is projected to reach a 1% audience share, underscoring the sweeping transformation in young audiences' entertainment consumption.
This article was synthesized and translated from native language sources to provide English-speaking readers with local perspectives.
