The audience has endorsed this model. In an environment of growing fragmentation, Antena 3 was the only leading television channel which has grown to climb to second position and obtain its highest figure since 2009.
In October Atresmedia Television continued to expand. With the arrival of laSexta, laSexta3 and Xplora, the Group attained approximately 28% of the audience figures between October and December. Although its sound results extend over the whole day, noteworthy is the prime time figure (the slot with the highest consumption) in which Atresmedia Television is the absolute leader.
Atresmedia Television thereby consolidates itself as the most diverse group with seven different channels which have their own independent identities. Seven channels with their own personality, but which, taken as a whole, form a unique television model, with quality and innovation as their seal of identity.
At the end of the year, the channel launched a campaign to welcome 2013. In the campaign the leading faces of ANTENA 3 and LaSexta joined together to lead a dance with an optimistic tone, loaded with humor. This initiative reflects the value of the difference between both channels, but also the common elements: quality, innovation and respect for the spectator. The campaign was broadcast for the first time simultaneously and in a complementary manner on the two channels.
In 2012, laSexta consolidated itself as modern, dynamic channel closely linked to current affairs. This was combined with cinema and foreign fiction. Since the inclusion of the chain in the Group, the entertainments contents were reinforced, highlighting PESADILLA EN LA COCINA, which became the best entertainment premiere in its history (13.7% and 2.8% million spectators). This new activity of laSexta commenced with a strong audience backing; since the merger, the chain has grown every month with respect to the same period in 2011.
The offering of the complementary channels Neox, Nova, Nitro, Xplora and laSexta 3 obtained average audience figures of 8.8%. Atresmedia Television has a channel aimed at women, another aimed at young audiences, a further channel for men, as well as a channel of factual content and a channel devoted to cinema. None of these channels is based on the repetition of contents, rather on new in-house proposals. They constitute the largest variety of channels with a unique and exclusive programming and, accordingly, they represent the leading offering of the market in the last quarter (8.8% in October-December).
THE ONLY GENERALISTIC TELEVISION THAT GROWS
Antena 3 ended 2012 with remarkable results, enabling it to recover its second position and obtain its best figures since 2009. Furthermore, it is the only free to air television channel which has succeeded in expanding with respect to 2011, despite the fragmentation of audience figures. It thereby ended a successful year with 12.5% of audience share, one point more than in 2011, marking a clearly upward trend. In fact, the last quarter ended with an audience share of 13.3%.
This sound performance commenced at the beginning of the season (2012-2013). With 13.1% it achieved its best yearly start-up in three years and was situated as leader in the commercial target (13.3%), among the public from 13 to 54 years (13.4%), and in the high to middle class (12.5%).
Since its inclusion in Atresmedia Television, laSexta grew to attain 5.4% in October and November, going on to attain 5.5% in December. These are the channel's highest results for more than a year. It ended October, November and December with increases with respect to the figures obtained in the same months of 2011.
Atresmedia Television, integrated by Antena 3, laSexta, Neox, Nova, Nitro, Xplora and laSexta 3, ended the year with a 25.8% share and an increase in audience figures of 1.1 points. Audience share rose in practically all the time slots, but especially in the day time slot with growth of more than 2 points in the afternoon.
All the complementary channels, are the leader in their reference public, and ended the last four-month period of the year as the most competitive offering of the market.
Neox (2.6%) was once again the preferred channel among the young audiences with its offering of sitcoms, cinema and in-house production programs. Nova (1.6%) reported an annual record and ended the year with maximum audience figures and as the feminine leader. Nitro (1.6%) improved its result by 0.2 points in the preceding year despite the new competition and continues to be the masculine leader.
The new channels incorporated to the Group are also experiencing good times. xplora (1.4% since it was formed) consolidates itself as the leading factual channel on the market and ended the year with its best monthly results. laSexta 3 (1.6%) also progressed with respect to 2011 (+0,2) and consolidated itself as the leading cinema channel of the market.
ONCE AGAIN, WITH THE MOST SUCCESSFUL PREMIERES
Antena 3 once again based its model on innovation and for yet another year situated itself as the channel with the highest percentage of correct decisions in its premieres (53%, as opposed to the usual 20% on the market). New successful fictional offering such as CON EL CULO AL AIRE, LUNA and FENÓMENOS were included, but also entertainment programs such as EL NUMERO UNO. LaSexta obtained its highest scores with PESADILLA EN LA COCINA, the best entertainment premiere of its history, and created a new current affairs brand with LASEXTA COLUMNA.
Entertainment also achieved positive results in laSexta. PESADILLA EN LA COCINA and Alberto Chicote are the revelation of the season. Their premiere became the most watched in this category in the channel's history (2,802,000 spectators) and ended the year with outstanding figures (12.6% and 2.5 million followers). 'El Intermedio', one of laSexta's most emblematic programs, ended 2012 with growth of 1.3 points with respect to 2011 (7.4% and 1,409,000 spectators) and rising. In fact, the program Gran Wyoming obtained a new record in December of 9.7%.
Furthermore, EL CLUB DE LA COMEDIA became the Friday night success with almost 1.3 million followers and an average of 6.9%.
Antena 3, the reference channel in fiction: five of its series were among the 10 most watched, and broadcasts the most closely-followed film of 2012.
Antena 3 continues to be a fictional reference. It offers the most watched series of the private channels and, always seeking the best within the gender, successfully encompasses foreign fiction. CON EL CULO AL AIRE (17.3% and 3,200,000) and LUNA (15.3% and 2,786,000), which are the best fictional premieres of the commercial channels, and GRAN HOTEL and EL BARCO, which attained positive results in their new seasons, were all here to stay.
BANDOLERA and EL SECRETO DE PUENTE VIEJO represented in 2012 a change in model for the afternoon and evening slots. BANDOLERA concluded December with a monthly maximum (12.2%) and ‘EL SECRETO DE PUENTE VIEJO averaged 16.8% in the season, 3.3 points more than in the same period in the previous year, on various occasions becoming absolute leader in its time slot.
Antena 3 also offered PULSERAS ROJAS in 2012. This drama on adolescents in hospital became the most watched of the summer (except sport) and the absolute leader in its time slot with an average of 15.2% and 2,359,000 spectators.
Furthermore, Antena 3 continues to offer the most prized and prestigious foreign series. ONCE UPON A TIME became the most watched foreign fiction (2,366,000 and 13.2%) and GAME OF THRONES (1,699,000 and 12.6%) in one of the revelations of the summer with 19.0% and almost 2.7 million followers in its premiere. It also broadcast the third season of DOWNTON ABBEY, the highly-prized British series.
Foreign fiction is once again one of the main axes of laSexta with THE MENTALIST (9.1% and 1,863,00 in its fourth season), THE WALKING DEAD (7.7% and 1,522,000 in the second round of its second season) and BONES (6.6% and 1,318,000 in its seventh season) as leading exponents.
Beyond serial fiction, Antena 3 consolidated its position in the broadcasting of the best cinema. MULTICINE (14.9%) and EL PELICULÓN (13.5%) are its leading cinema containers and absolute leaders in their time slot. The premier of BREAKING DAWN Part 1, of the TWILIGHT SAGA, became the most watched film of the year of all the televisions channels with more than 4.5 million spectators (22.8%). The cinema offering also excelled in laSexta with EL TAQUILLAZO (8.4% and 1.383.000), which attained its best result with THE HANGOVER with 2,262,000 spectators and a 12.5% share.
THE LEADING CURRENT AFFAIRS OFFERING
ANTENA 3 NOTICIAS 1 ended the year on a high note and consolidated itself as the leading news channel of the private channels both from Monday to Sunday (14.3% and 1,910,000), and from Monday to Friday (14.1% and 1,901,000). In 2012, the 15.00 program with a lead of 1.6 points over Informativos Telecinco from Monday to Sunday overtook the whole of the private offering.
But its position as current affairs leader does not only relate to the positive result of news programs. ESPEJO PÚBLICO reported its highest ever viewing figures (471,000 and 16.5%) and continued to be the current affairs program with the greatest share (+3,0) with its analysis by Susanna Griso.
laSexta's news programs are among those which most grew with respect to the preceding year (1.0). laSexta Noticias achieved its best annual data (7.1% and 777.000) and amply exceed the Cuatro news program. LASEXTA NOTICIAS 14H averaged 8.9% and 929,000 spectators from Monday to Friday and exceeded 10% in the last months of the year.
AL ROJO VIVO (9.3% and 525.000) and SALVADOS (13.3% and 2.726.000) yielded the best results of their history and became the reference slots. The former reached its maximum on 9 October with the visit of Felipe González (12.7% and 728.000), and the program featuring Jordi Évole led the channel's most viewed non-sporting slot in the year attaining its record on 2 December with 'Fraude rico, fraude pobre' (3.584.000 and 16.1%), to become the most viewed non-sporting program of its history.
Atresmedia Television also successfully promoted the news features format on Friday night-time in its two leading channels. EQUIPO DE INVESTIGACION, on Antena 3, obtained its highest ever viewing figure with its program on stolen babies and Sor María (13.2% and 2,312,000) on 4 June. LASEXTA COLUMNA, exceeded 9% and 1.5 million spectators with '25S: No me grites que no gobierno' on 28 September.
THE BEST WORLD FORMULA 1 IN FOUR YEARS 2012 was also the year of the inclusion of the Formula 1 in Atresmedia Television, thereby strengthening the diversity of the offering for all manner of public. Furthermore, the championship with Antonio Lobato at the helm won audiences with respect to previous years and ended its most viewed year since 2008 (4.175.000 and 39.1%).
ATRESMEDIA TELEVISION'S CHANNELS OVERTAKE THEIR DIRECT RIVALS
Neox (2.6%) strengthened its position as leading channel among young people (8.2%) with its sitcom and cinema offering. MODERN FAMILY, LOS SIMPSON and CINEMATRIX were consolidated as some of its reference slots. Moreover, the channel once again hedged its bets on in-house productions with SEÑORAS QUE (2.7% and 559,000) and CURSO DEL 73 (2.4% and 424,000).
Nova (1.6%) ended the year on a high note, with maximum audience figures. Such figures rose 0.1 with respect to 2011 and obtained the annual maximum. Its offering of afternoon and evening series, and cinema nights consolidated its positive audience share. BELLA CALAMIDADES, SOY TU DUEÑA and CUIDADO CON EL ÁNGEL appeared among the channel's most viewed offerings in the year.
Nitro (1.%) improved 0.2 with respect to 2011. The Formula 1 and the Euro Cup under 19's, LAW AND ORDER and cinema are its most effective offerings.
Xplora (1.4% since commencement) was consolidated as the leading factual channel on the market, and ended the year with its best monthly results (1.6%). In the last four month period, it became the third non-children's theme channel with the best result in the commercial target with 2.1%.
laSexta 3 (1.6%) also grew with respect to the preceding year and consolidated itself as the leading cinema channel. It once again obtained positive results with the theme cycles, while 'ROCKY IV' (4.1% and 783,000) and 'OPERATION SWORDFISH' (4.1% and 743,000) were its most seen productions.