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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]It is practically impossible to talk about the growth of streaming services in Argentina without referring to the COVID-19 pandemic that is shaking the entire world. A consumption that at first glance seemed a luxury has become “essential”. The numbers reflect this: in the thirteenth week of 2020, the country’s streaming audience increased by one third (33.5%) compared to the first eleven weeks, with average screen-time rising to four hours per day.

Of course, Argentina is not an outlier in Latin America. In Brazil, according to the same study, the audience has grown by 30%, with the amount of time spent on screens per day rising by ten minutes. Colombia saw increases too, with the audience growing by 34% and daily viewing time rising by twenty-six minutes.[/vc_column_text][vc_custom_heading text=”The current panorama of streaming services in Argentina” font_container=”tag:h2|font_size:26px|text_align:left|color:%23145b5f” use_theme_fonts=”yes” css=”.vc_custom_1609786985071{margin-top: -15px !important;}”][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1609785656175{margin-top: -10px !important;}”]It is not news that the COVID-19 pandemic has incurred an economic crisis. Despite this, during this time Internet traffic in Argentina has grown between 30% and 50%, according to information from service providers. Something similar happened during the 2011 economic crisis, which triggered strong growth in cable TV and broadband consumption.

Mandatory preventive social isolation has had a massive impact on the consumption of streaming services in Argentina, such as Amazon Prime Video, Flow, Netflix, HBO Go and Movistar Play. Not everything is audiovisual, and platforms like Deezer and Spotify also liven up life in Argentine homes.

This increase can be seen as a consolidation of these consumptions – a confirmed trend, and a cultural phenomenon that goes from strength to strength while cable and public access TV ratings plummet. The great capital of streaming services compared to the latter lies in “the ability to choose.” A wide menu of possibilities gives the user a more active role, rather than having to wait for a specific time to watch their favorite program on the usual channel.[/vc_column_text][vc_custom_heading text=”Economics is key (Netflix costs about the same as a Big Mac)” font_container=”tag:h2|font_size:26px|text_align:left|color:%23145b5f” use_theme_fonts=”yes” css=”.vc_custom_1609786995956{margin-top: -15px !important;}”][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1609785685817{margin-top: -10px !important;}”]If they were prohibitively expensive, the growth of streaming services in Argentina would likely not trend upward to this extent. For a country that seems to have become very used to economic crises and scant recoveries in recent years, it is understandable for Argentines to check prices before reaching for their wallets.

The low cost of streaming applications also explains the growth of these platforms in the country. The cheapest service costs 3.58 American dollars per month, including VAT and digital tax, as of mid-2020.

By way of comparison, a mass-market hamburger such as the McDonald’s Big Mac was priced at 2.35 American dollars in Argentina, in January 2020. For those who enjoy and can afford it, signing up to streaming services and eating double hamburgers sounds like a good plan in Argentina.[/vc_column_text][vc_custom_heading text=”Streaming services present in Argentina” font_container=”tag:h2|font_size:30px|text_align:left|color:%23145b5f” use_theme_fonts=”yes” css=”.vc_custom_1609785701143{margin-top: -15px !important;}”][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1609786891646{margin-top: -10px !important;}”]Movies, series, kids shows, art cinema, documentaries… streaming services offer a wide array of content. Among those consumed by Argentines, the following stand out:

Beyond the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing economic difficulties, Argentines are people of habit and streaming services in Argentina have evidently already been assimilated as such.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]