Industry

The latest GECA OTT Barometer highlights a quarter marked by momentum and strategic shifts among Spain’s leading streaming platforms. Netflix not only maintains its leadership position but also delivers the strongest growth of the period, rising by +2.6 points and further widening its lead as the most widely adopted platform in the country. This surge coincides with the conclusion of "Stranger Things".

Positive momentum is also evident among other key players. SkyShowtime records one of the most significant increases (+1.5 points) following a price reduction implemented last December, while Apple TV+ regains ground with a +1.7-point rise, driven by the success of the award-winning series "Pluribus". At the same time, ad-supported subscription models have reached maturity: more than 57% of Netflix (57.8%) and Disney+ (57.6%) users are now on ad-tier plans, confirming strong consumer acceptance of hybrid offerings.

One of the most disruptive trends is the rise of vertical microdramas, a format that is beginning to reshape viewing habits. DramaBox (34.3%) ranks as the most widely used platform in Spain, followed by ReelShort (27.5%) and NetShort (22.4%). The data also reveal differing distribution strategies: while platforms such as DramaBox retain users primarily through their own apps (56.0%), others like DramaWave rely heavily on YouTube (53.6%) as their main distribution channel.

Commenting on this phenomenon, Rafael Herrera, Director of GECA’s OTT & FAST Barometer, states: "The emergence of vertical fiction in Spain is not a passing trend, but a direct response to new 'snack' consumption habits. We are seeing how platforms such as DramaBox are capturing massive attention through drama and romance microdramas, particularly among female audiences. The industry’s challenge now is to understand how this content will coexist with large-scale productions in the battle for users’ time."

In terms of genre preferences, drama (47.7%) and romance (47.5%) clearly dominate vertical fiction consumption, with a predominantly female audience profile. By contrast, genres such as comedy (42.6%) and science fiction (38.0%) show a much more balanced appeal across genders.