Mexico's Steamy Soap Operas Lose out to Netflix, Snapchat
- Televisa ratings down 24% this year; Azteca’s drop 8%
- Even edgy new shows don’t guarantee viewers will come back
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Mexicans are switching off their TV sets at an unprecedented rate, bruising shares of Grupo Televisa SAB and TV Azteca SAB, as more viewers opt for digital entertainment following the government’s moves to make internet access more accessible.
Year-to-date, Televisa’s broadcast ratings are down 24 percent and Azteca’s have slid 8 percent, according to Itau BBA analyst Gregorio Tomassi, citing data from HR Ratings Media. That follows declines of 16 percent and 14 percent for the two networks last year. The steepest drops are in telenovelas -- the pulpy serial dramas for which both networks are famous -- and nightly news.