Costa Rica adds 100,000 pay TV subscribers in 2013

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 2013.

Costa Rica ended 2013 with 641,042 pay TV subscribers, up 100,349 (19%) versus the end of 2012. The majority of subscribers have their television delivered over cable networks, though satellite added the most subscribers (70,445) during the year.

Tigo is the leading operator with 39% market share, followed by Cabletica at 31% and Telecable at 12%.

Television subscribers by technology

                                         2011
           ----------------------------------
                Q1       Q2       Q3       Q4
           -------  -------  -------  -------
Cable TV   404,285  410,044  419,092  432,180
Satellite   54,349   56,826   58,984   64,885
IPTV             0        0        0        0
MMDS         1,065    1,134    1,148    1,072
           -------  -------  -------  -------
Total      459,699  468,004  479,224  498,137

                                         2012
           ----------------------------------
                Q1       Q2       Q3       Q4
           -------  -------  -------  -------
Cable TV   444,924  453,987  455,783  462,977
Satellite   67,610   70,450   73,408   76,491
IPTV             0        0        0        0
MMDS         1,173    1,145    1,192    1,225
           -------  -------  -------  -------
Total      513,707  525,581  530,383  540,693

                                         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

Operator Market Shares

                           2013
                           ----
Tigo (Millicom)             39%
Cabletica                   31%
Telecable Económico         12%
Cable Vision CR              5%
COOPELESCA                   2%
Transdatelecom               2%
COOPESANTOS                  2%
Cable Max                    1%
Cable Caribe                 1%
Cable Pacayas o Doble R      1%
COOPEALFARO RUIZ             1%
Cablevisión de Occidente     1%
Others                       2%