When Digi announced the launch of its television service in Spain, expectations were very high. Many expected the Romanian company to repeat the success it had achieved in Portugal. There, its television platform was rapidly accumulating subscribers.
However, the latest data has shown that, at least for now, things are not going as the Romanian operator had imagined. In its first-quarter 2025 report, it confirmed that its fiber and mobile business remains in good shape in Spain. Nevertheless, it was notable that the performance of Digi TV in the country was not mentioned.
This silence has raised doubts. But it was discovered that its television platform added 47,000 subscribers in those first three months of the year.
Is that a lot? It depends on what we compare it to. In Portugal, where Digi TV started operating shortly before in Spain, they have already reached 125,000 customers. That is, there is a significant difference of 78,000 users between the two markets.
This difference has led Digi to focus on highlighting the good results in telephony and Internet, leaving television in the background.
Movistar and Orange come out strengthened
The current situation has brought some relief to Movistar and Orange. Both companies have been strengthening their content offerings in recent months, and the slow start of Digi TV gives them room to breathe.
Movistar Plus+, for example, has managed to position itself as a very attractive service thanks to its exclusive content and its well-crafted user experience. Meanwhile, Orange has surprised by allowing any customer, even from other operators, to contract its television with Orange TV Libre. These strategic decisions are making significant differences in the war for streaming and television entertainment.
One of the problems Digi faces in Spain is that its television service is still in its infancy. Important channels are missing, there is no proprietary content that engages, and the user experience is not at the level of its competitors. Basic functions like accessing recent recordings have issues, and the interface needs urgent improvements.
It also doesn't help that the Spanish market is especially competitive. Here, users highly value service quality and exclusive content. Thus, even Digi's mobile or fiber customers end up contracting television with Movistar or Orange, which offer a more complete experience.
Following in the footsteps of Orange and Movistar
Looking to the future, it wouldn't be surprising if Digi TV tries to imitate some strategies that have worked for other operators. For example, including unique channels, temporary events, or even opening its platform to customers of any company. But, for now, it is clear that the launch of its television service in Spain is going slower than desired.
Meanwhile, Movistar and Orange can be at ease, at least for now. The competition hasn't arrived as strong as it seemed, and that gives them time to continue consolidating their position in the market.