• Fewer than half of respondents (49%) enquiry five or more journalistic brands a week, down from 81% who did so in 2016 - down thirty points in a decade

• Antena 3 consolidates its position as the most followed media in the country, with 42% of total weekly audience, followed by RTVE (30%), La Sexta (25%) and Telecinco (23%).

In the Spanish news ecosystem, the average issue of brands used weekly continues at low levels, with slight decreases in most age groups. This stability a la leave consolidates a trend towards the concentration of consumption: a reduced issue of brands manages to retain both the reach and the loyalty of a significant part of the public. Thus, users access fewer journalistic brands for information, but do so with greater regularity. This trend has intensified in 2025, consolidating a patron saint that has important implications for information pluralism and exhibition to diverse perspectives.

In 2016, eight in ten respondents (81%) claimed to use five or more news sources in any given week. By 2025, that proportion has fallen to 49%. In other words, in less than a decade, the intensive and diversified use of news brands has fallen by more than 30 percentage points. The drop has been steady, with particular intensity between 2020 and 2023, and with no sign of reversal in the last year.

At the same time, the percentage of those who get their information from a very limited issue of media is increasing. In 2025, 21% say they have used only one or two news brands in the last week, compared to 6% in 2016. The segment consuming three to four sources is also growing, albeit more moderately. Even more worrying is the steady increase in the number of those who do not use any journalistic source at all: while in 2016 they were only 2%, in 2025 they will rise to 9%.

This narrowing of the information repertoire can be explained by several factors: the growing predominance of social networks as the main channel for accessing news, algorithmic personalization that reinforces established consumption routines, information fatigue in certain segments and the consolidation of loyal relationships with a reduced issue of brands, both in the offline and digital environment. 

Although from the media's point of view this loyalty may seem desirable, it also entails risks: it reduces exhibition to plural visions, increases the probability of information isolation and can reinforce cognitive and political biases. Moreover, those who are informed through fewer sources tend to show lower levels of knowledge about current affairs and greater vulnerability to misinformation.

The persistence of offline consumption: television, radio and press in transformation

Despite the unstoppable advance of the digital environment, offline media continue to represent a fundamental part of the Spanish information ecosystem, especially among older audiences and in certain territorial contexts. Television, radio and the printed press maintain their relevance as sources of information, although they show clear signs of stagnation and even decline in their overall reach levels.

Television stations continue to be the most consulted offl ine journalistic brands, with Antena 3 consolidating its leadership position for yet another year. In 2025, 38% of respondents reported having consumed news on this channel in the last week, and 28% do so at least three days a week, confirming its ability to capture audiences even in an environment of increasing digital skill

RTVE ranks second among the traditional television media, with 27% of weekly use and 18% of frequent consumption, which represents a consolidation of its role as a public media of reference letter It is followed by La Sexta (23% weekly usage, 14% frequent), Telecinco (21% and 15%) and Cuatro (18% and 10%). These figures confirm that, although there is a certain fragmentation in television consumption, the large generalist channels continue to occupy a central position on the news map.

Regional television and radio, both public and private, also maintain a prominent presence: 17% of respondents reported having consumed public regional media in the last week (11% do so frequently), and 9% stated the same for private regional media (5% frequently). These data underline the importance of local information references, especially in communities with strong territorial identities.

In radio, the large general radio stations are still present, although with a more limited reach. COPE and Cadena SER maintain very similar figures, with 10% of weekly use, and 7% and 6% of frequent consumption. Onda Cero is behind (6% and 3%). Although these figures are modest compared to those of the audiovisual media, they show considerable loyalty in certain segments, especially among those who consume information while traveling or as a sound accompaniment.

The print media continue their decline, although some titles retain remarkable levels of usage. El País continues to be the most consulted print newspaper, with 11% of weekly use and 5% of frequent use. It is followed by 20 Minutos (10% and 4%) and El Mundo (9% and 4%). Among the sports newspapers, Marca maintains a significant presence (7% weekly use, 4% frequent), while at the regional level El Correo (4% and 3%) and La Voz de Galicia (3% and 2%) stand out.

Other titles such as ABC (6% weekly, 2% frequent), La Vanguardia (6% and 3%), El Periódico (6% and 2%) or La Razón (5% and 2%) show more discrete figures, but still reflect sustained consumption in certain ideological or geographic niches. The economic press, such as Expansión, remains residual in general terms (1% weekly and frequent).

The online ecosystem: Hybrid Structures and skill between models

Online news consumption continues to be articulated through a hybrid ecosystem in which traditional brands adapted to the digital environment coexist with digital native media that have consolidated their position in the market. The skill between the two models continues to be intense, and the data for 2025 reflect an unstable balance where large titles, new players and regional or specialized media coexist.

Antena 3 leads online consumption among news brands, with 17% of weekly users and 13% who enquiry its content at least three days a week. It is followed by El País online, with 13% weekly usage and 7% intensive loyalty. Okdiario also stands out as the third most consulted digital brand (12%), with 6% loyalty.

Around 12% of users also consult 20 Minutos online and El Mundo online, both with similar levels of loyalty (6%). Among the native media, Diario.es (11% weekly use; 5% intensive) and El Confidencial (10% and 5%) maintain a stable user base, as do El Español (9%) and Público.es (7%), although with somewhat lower loyalty fees .

RTVE online maintains its role as a public media of digital reference letter (10% reach; 5% loyalty), while Marca online stands out for its high regularity in consumption (10% weekly; 6% intensive). Regional brands also retain a relevant space: 10% of respondents access local newspapers online, and 8% access regional public radio or television stations, although their loyalty levels are around 5%.

In the second group of brands, with between 5% and 8% of weekly reach, are media such as ABC online (7%), La Razón online (7%) or La Vanguardia online (7%), together with generalist portals such as HuffPost (72%) or Libertad Digital (6%). There are also emerging or specialized media such as El Economista online (4%) or Europa Press (4%), with smaller but constant audiences.

Digital natives: consolidation and segmentation

Digital native media continue to expand their presence in the Spanish news landscape. Okdiario is the most consulted new digital media, with 12% weekly reach and 6% loyalty, consolidating an audience that, although polarized, sample high levels of recurrence. elDiario.es (11% weekly use; 5% intensive) and El Confidencial (10%; 5%) also stand out as leaders in this group, thanks to editorial strategies focused on exclusive content and a solid presence in social networks. At some distance are other natives such as El Español (9%; 4%), Público (7%; 3%), Libertad Digital (7%; 4%) or HuffPost (7%; 4%), which, although with a relevant reach, do not always manage to generate loyal and stable audiences.

Local, alternative or specialized digital media also figure in the ecosystem, but with more discrete figures, rarely above 2% of intensive use. Overall, digital natives represent a significant part of the online news offer and have succeeded in building loyalty among specific segments of the population, although their structural impact is still concentrated in a small issue of brands.

Logics of consumption: transitions between the traditional and the digital

The analysis of the weekly audience of the main media allows us to observe more clearly the place of each brand in the Spanish news ecosystem, as well as the transition trajectories between traditional and digital environments. Television continues to be the category with the greatest reach. Antena 3 consolidates its position as the most followed medium in the country, with 42% of weekly audience, combining an eminently offline use (25%) with an important dual base (13%) and an online-only audience (4%). RTVE follows with 30% of weekly audience, while La Sexta and Telecinco reach 25% and 23%, respectively. In all cases, the presence in the traditional environment remains predominant, although some of these media have managed to extend their footprint in the digital environment.

Regional TV stations (public and private) also show a significant presence, with ranges from 14% to 21%, reflecting their territorial rooting. On the other hand, international media such as CNN and BBC remain marginal options in terms of weekly audience (4% each), with audiences fragmented among environments.

In radio, the status is similar. Cadena SER (13%), COPE (12%) and Onda Cero (8%) maintain an audience strongly based on offline listening, although a relevant segment of dual and digital-only listeners is beginning to be detected, especially in the first two cases. This patron saint suggests a slower evolution towards digitalization, although with signs of change.

Print has the most advanced transformation. Although there are still exclusively print readers, the growth of digital and hybrid audiences is clear. El País leads the group with a 20% weekly readership, standing out in both online-only readership (8%) and dual use (5%), and also maintains a traditional readership base (6%). It is followed by El Mundo and 20 Minutos, with 17% each. In both cases, the sum of digital and hybrid audiences clearly exceeds print audiences.

Other newspapers such as ABC, La Vanguardia or La Razón reach between 10% and 11% of weekly audience, combining different reader profiles. In the case of Marca, the digital component is clearly dominant (6%), which reinforces its position as a sports media adapted to the online environment.

A noteworthy case is that of the regional and local paid press, which maintains a weekly audience of 16%, but is still mainly based on the print format. This suggests a lag in the digital transition with respect to the statewide media, probably due to economic, demographic or technological restrictions in their respective territories.

Audience data show that the traditional model continues to provide the basis of visibility for Spanish media, especially in television and radio. However, newspapers -and some audiovisual media such as RTVE or Antena 3 - are managing to consolidate dual and even exclusively digital audiences, especially in the younger segments. The evolution is uneven across categories, but the path towards a hybrid ecosystem seems to be consolidating.

Towards more selective and polarized consumption

The Spanish digital ecosystem reflects a patron saint of hybrid skill in which traditional brands adapted to the digital environment, audiovisual media in digital expansion and digital natives with differentiated proposals coexist. This coexistence does not imply, however, an equitable distribution of consumption: a limited issue of brands -Antena 3, El País, Okdiario, 20 Minutos, elDiario.es- accumulate the highest levels of reach and loyalty, which reinforces the phenomenon of concentration already observed in offline consumption.

The ability to transfer a strong identity between platforms is confirmed as a core topic success factor. Brands that better integrate their offline and online presence -such as Antena 3 or RTVE- achieve large and stable digital audiences. On the other hand, digital natives that have consolidated a clear and sustained publishing house offer -such as elDiario.es or El Confidencial- show that it is possible to build loyal communities outside the traditional bequest .

On the other hand, those brands that fail to connect their television or print strategies with the digital environment -such as Telecinco, La Sexta or several regional print newspapers- tend to lose visibility and recurrence on the Internet. skill in the online ecosystem requires not only presence, but also adaptation of formats, narratives and business models to the dynamics of digital consumption, marked by fragmentation, polarization and intermittent attention.