Pay TV subscriptions in Costa Rica grew 9% in 2015

Tuesday, May 31st, 2016 

SAN JOSÉ — Costa Rica’s Superintendency of Telecommunications (Superintendencia de telecomunicaciones – SUTEL) has released a report on the country’s telecommunications market for the period 2011 to 2015.

Costa Rica ended 2015 with 797,230 pay TV subscribers, up 64,684 (9%) versus the end of 2014. The majority of subscribers (532,201) have their television delivered over cable networks, though satellite once again added the most subscribers (40,452) during the year, growing 19% year-on-year.

Television subscribers by technology

                                         2014
           ----------------------------------
                Q1       Q2       Q3       Q4
           -------  -------  -------  -------
Cable TV   500,016  505,883  508,268  510,390
Satellite  162,355  171,641  186,591  217,140
IPTV         3,483    3,674    3,804    4,191
MMDS         1,091    1,093      876      825
           -------  -------  -------  -------
Total      666,945  682,291  699,539  732,546

                                         2015
           ----------------------------------
                Q1       Q2       Q3       Q4
           -------  -------  -------  -------
Cable TV   510,921  512,431  527,140  532,201
Satellite  226,130  240,900  252,908  257,592
IPTV         4,534    5,111    5,889    6,434
MMDS           631      657      605    1,003
           -------  -------  -------  -------
Total      742,216  759,099  786,542  797,230

More: Market Report (.pdf) [es]

Pay TV subscribers in Costa Rica grew 14% in 2014

SAN JOSÉ — Costa Rica’s Superintendency of Telecommunications (Superintendencia de telecomunicaciones – SUTEL) has released a report on the country’s telecommunications market for the period 2010 to 2014.

Costa Rica ended 2014 with 732,546 pay TV subscribers, up 91,504 (14%) versus the end of 2013. The majority of subscribers (510,390) have their television delivered over cable networks, though satellite added the most subscribers (70,204) during the year, growing 48% year-on-year.

Tigo is the leading operator with 29% market share, followed by Cabletica at 22% and Claro at 16%.

Television subscribers by technology

                                         2013
           ----------------------------------
                Q1       Q2       Q3       Q4
           -------  -------  -------  -------
Cable TV   467,125  469,332  474,119  489,848
Satellite   99,610  116,371  130,495  146,936
IPTV           886    1,294    2,168    3,071
MMDS         1,136    1,097      922    1,187
           -------  -------  -------  -------
Total      568,757  588,094  607,704  641,042

                                         2014
           ----------------------------------
                Q1       Q2       Q3       Q4
           -------  -------  -------  -------
Cable TV   500,016  505,883  508,268  510,390
Satellite  162,355  171,641  186,591  217,140
IPTV         3,483    3,674    3,804    4,191
MMDS         1,091    1,093      876      825
           -------  -------  -------  -------
Total      666,945  682,291  699,539  732,546

Operator Market Shares

                       2010    2011    2012    2013    2014
                     ------  ------  ------  ------  ------
Tigo (Millicom)      39.87%  38.05%  35.68%  30.14%  28.80%
Cabletica            32.14%  30.02%  27.92%  23.98%  21.61%
Claro                    0%      0%      0%   9.17%  16.38%
Telecable económico   2.98%   4.39%   5.80%   9.37%  10.33%
Sky                  11.66%  13.02%  14.14%  13.74%   9.88%
Clabe Visión CR       5.91%   6.05%   6.09%   3.97%   3.07%
Coopelesca            1.69%   1.68%   1.96%   1.81%   1.84%
Coopesantos           0.27%   0.91%   1.67%   1.43%   1.55%
Others                5.42%   5.84%   6.70%   6.34%   6.49%

More: Market Report (.pdf) [es]