A. Guttmann
Research Lead covering media
Media usage in Chile - statistics & facts
Internet dominates screen time among consumers everywhere, and Chile is no exception to this rule. In Chile, time spent on the internet surpasses eight hours per day, more than time spent at work. Broadcast and streaming TV consumption adds up to half that time.
Today, digital entertainment is taking over the Chilean mediascape, and the usage of traditional sources like pay TV is declining.
All in all, internet plays a vital role among the Chilean population, as the data shows that the majority of entertainment happens online.
Will pay TV continue to fall out of favor in Chile?
Despite the temporary hike in pay TV consumption during the pandemic, the medium is again showing signs of decline. The Chilean pay TV market is experiencing the same struggles as other countries in the Latin America region – subscriber losses and decrease in revenue. At the end of 2022, the number of pay TV subscriptions fell by one million, with the satellite segment taking the largest hit. Similarly, that year Chile's pay TV penetration returned to pre-pandemic levels, 16.6 percent. Chilean media consumers have been limiting their time spent with pay TV every year since 2020 and this trend looks set to continue.Internet – what do Chileans do there?
Recent data shows that more than 19 million people in Chile go online. This translates to an internet penetration rate of about 90 percent. When it comes to device usage, mobile access dominates the daily time spent online among people in the country. Search engines are the most used type of websites in Chile, followed by online stores, and video sites such as YouTube. This is directly reflected in data on the most popular online activities of Chileans. Searching for general information, finding inspiration and ideas, researching brands are some of the main reasons to use the internet. Staying in touch with friends, listening to music, and watching videos are also commonly mentioned activities. Gaming, as well, happens primarily on smartphones in Chile.All in all, internet plays a vital role among the Chilean population, as the data shows that the majority of entertainment happens online.
