Imagine a media landscape so dynamic that streaming services now capture nearly half of all TV viewing time, yet traditional broadcasters like NRK still command the attention of millions daily, while digital subscriptions surge and newspaper front pages persist—welcome to Norway's complex and thriving media industry, where the figures paint a fascinating story of transition.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, Norway's television advertising market revenue reached 2.3 billion NOK, marking a 4.5% increase from the previous year.
- NRK's TV audience share in Norway was 28.2% in 2023, down from 30.1% in 2022.
- Commercial broadcaster TV2 had a market share of 22.4% among 15-74 year olds in Q4 2023.
- In 2022, Norway's radio advertising revenue totaled 1.1 billion NOK, up 3.2% year-over-year.
- NRK radio stations had a weekly reach of 3.4 million listeners in Norway in 2023.
- Commercial radio market share was 32% in 2023, with P4 leading at 18%.
- In 2022, total newspaper circulation in Norway was 1.9 million copies daily.
- Aftenposten newspaper had 180,000 daily print circulation in 2023.
- Subscription-based newspapers accounted for 85% of print revenues in 2022.
- In 2023, 82% of Norwegians accessed online news daily, highest in Nordics.
- Digital subscriptions for news media reached 1.2 million in Norway 2023.
- VG.no had 2.5 million unique weekly visitors in Q1 2023.
- Total media market revenue in Norway was 28.4 billion NOK in 2022.
- Digital ads comprised 52% of total ad spend at 14.6 billion NOK in 2022.
- TV ad market share was 15% with 4.2 billion NOK revenue 2023.
Norway's media industry is increasingly shifting from traditional TV and print to digital and streaming services.
Advertising and Market Revenue
- Total media market revenue in Norway was 28.4 billion NOK in 2022.
- Digital ads comprised 52% of total ad spend at 14.6 billion NOK in 2022.
- TV ad market share was 15% with 4.2 billion NOK revenue 2023.
- Out-of-home advertising grew 8% to 1.1 billion NOK in 2022.
- Programmatic advertising volume was 6.8 billion NOK in Norway 2023.
- Total ad spend per capita was 5,200 NOK in 2022.
- Cinema ad revenue recovered to 250 million NOK post-COVID in 2022.
- Retail media networks generated 900 million NOK in 2023.
- Influencer marketing spend was 450 million NOK in Norway 2022.
- Native advertising accounted for 18% of digital ad revenue in 2023.
- Search advertising dominated digital at 4.5 billion NOK in 2022.
- Media agencies handled 75% of total ad buys worth 20 billion NOK 2023.
- Connected TV ad spend rose 25% to 350 million NOK in 2023.
- Annual growth in total media revenue was 5.1% from 2021-2022.
- Print ads share fell to 12% of market at 3.4 billion NOK 2022.
- Audio ads including podcasts hit 1.4 billion NOK in 2023.
- Social media ads revenue was 5.2 billion NOK, 37% of digital in 2022.
- Display ad formats grew 10% to 2.8 billion NOK in 2023.
- Total industry employment was 22,000 FTEs in media sector 2022.
Advertising and Market Revenue Interpretation
The Norwegian media market has fully embraced its digital overlords, with every other krone now spent on online ads, yet traditional TV stubbornly holds its ground like a Viking in a fjord while print quietly sails into the sunset.
Digital and Online Media
- In 2023, 82% of Norwegians accessed online news daily, highest in Nordics.
- Digital subscriptions for news media reached 1.2 million in Norway 2023.
- VG.no had 2.5 million unique weekly visitors in Q1 2023.
- Online advertising revenue hit 7.5 billion NOK in Norway 2022.
- Netflix had 1.4 million paid subscribers in Norway by 2023.
- Social media video consumption averaged 45 minutes daily per user in 2023.
- NRK.no website reached 4 million unique users monthly in 2023.
- Paywall penetration for digital news was 35% in Norway 2023.
- TikTok had 2.1 million monthly active users aged 18+ in Norway 2023.
- YouTube viewing time was 22 hours monthly per user in 2023.
- Podcast downloads totaled 150 million annually in Norway 2022.
- Facebook news consumption dropped to 28% from 45% in 2018-2023.
- E-commerce media spend online was 12 billion NOK in 2022.
- 95% internet penetration with 4.9 million broadband users in 2023.
- Mobile news app usage was 68% among 16-74 year olds in 2023.
- Spotify had 3.2 million premium users in Norway end 2023.
- Video on demand market revenue grew 12% to 5.2 billion NOK 2022.
- Instagram reach for news was 35% of population weekly 2023.
- Digital media employed 6,500 full-time equivalents in 2023.
- Online video ad spend reached 2.1 billion NOK in 2022.
Digital and Online Media Interpretation
Despite their near-universal love for free news, Norwegians are paradoxically putting their money where their taps are, building a paid digital fortress so robust it could make a Viking proud, all while scrolling through a dizzying buffet of video, podcasts, and social media that keeps the entire economy of attention thoroughly caffeinated.
Newspapers and Print Media
- In 2022, total newspaper circulation in Norway was 1.9 million copies daily.
- Aftenposten newspaper had 180,000 daily print circulation in 2023.
- Subscription-based newspapers accounted for 85% of print revenues in 2022.
- VG newspaper's print sales declined 7% to 110,000 copies in 2023.
- Regional newspapers like Adresseavisen had 65,000 subscribers in 2023.
- Print advertising revenue fell to 2.8 billion NOK in Norway 2022.
- 72% of Norwegians read print newspapers weekly in 2023 survey.
- Magazine market circulation totaled 12 million copies monthly in 2022.
- Allers Familie Journal was top magazine with 150,000 circulation in 2023.
- Newspaper readership penetration was 65% among over-55s in Norway 2023.
- Press support subsidies totaled 260 million NOK to 230 titles in 2022.
- Dagbladet print edition sold 45,000 copies daily in 2023.
- Free newspapers like 20minuten had 200,000 distribution in Oslo 2022.
- Print media employed 4,200 journalists in Norway in 2023.
- Sunday newspaper circulation peaked at 2.2 million in 2022.
- Tariffs for newspaper delivery cost 1.2 billion NOK annually in 2023.
- 40% drop in print ad pages from 2018 to 2022 in Norwegian newspapers.
- Klassekampen had niche circulation of 25,000 in 2023.
- Magazine advertising revenue was 850 million NOK in 2022.
Newspapers and Print Media Interpretation
Norway's media landscape reveals a nation that still cherishes its print, with a dedicated older generation propping up circulation like a beloved but creaky family cabin, even as the economic foundation of advertising continues to quietly erode beneath it.
Radio Broadcasting
- In 2022, Norway's radio advertising revenue totaled 1.1 billion NOK, up 3.2% year-over-year.
- NRK radio stations had a weekly reach of 3.4 million listeners in Norway in 2023.
- Commercial radio market share was 32% in 2023, with P4 leading at 18%.
- Daily radio listening time averaged 2 hours 15 minutes per person in Norway in 2022.
- NRK P1 had 1.8 million weekly listeners, the most popular station in 2023.
- Digital audio consumption via apps grew 15% to 45 minutes daily in Norway 2023.
- Radio Norge station reached 650,000 weekly listeners in 2023.
- Public funding for local radio in Norway was 142 million NOK in 2022.
- Car radio listening accounted for 55% of total radio consumption in Norway 2023.
- Podcast listening via radio apps reached 28% of Norwegians aged 12+ in 2023.
- Bauer Media's radio network had 1.2 million weekly reach in 2023.
- NRK's radio news bulletins had 1.1 million daily listeners in 2023.
- FM radio switch-off completed in 2021 led to 95% DAB+ adoption by 2023.
- Radio advertising CPM (cost per mille) averaged 45 NOK in Norway 2022.
- 85% of Norwegians listen to radio weekly, highest in Europe per 2023 survey.
- Local commercial radios numbered 150 stations broadcasting in 2022.
- NRK Riksringering (national radio service) covered 99.8% of population in 2023.
- Music radio stations dominated with 68% of listening time in Norway 2023.
- Radio listening among 15-24 year olds was 1 hour 45 minutes daily in 2023.
Radio Broadcasting Interpretation
Despite the buzz around digital growth, Norway’s radio scene stubbornly proves its vitality, where even a 3.2% bump in ad revenue feels like a victory lap for a medium that still commands the car, the country, and a surprising 85% of its people weekly.
Television Broadcasting
- In 2022, Norway's television advertising market revenue reached 2.3 billion NOK, marking a 4.5% increase from the previous year.
- NRK's TV audience share in Norway was 28.2% in 2023, down from 30.1% in 2022.
- Commercial broadcaster TV2 had a market share of 22.4% among 15-74 year olds in Q4 2023.
- Norwegian households with pay-TV subscriptions numbered 1.85 million in 2022, covering 92% of all households.
- Streaming services like Netflix accounted for 45% of total TV viewing time in Norway in 2023.
- Public service broadcaster NRK received 4.1 billion NOK in license fee funding in 2023.
- Local TV channels in Norway broadcasted over 15,000 hours of content in 2022.
- TV2's news program Nyhetene had an average viewership of 450,000 in prime time slots in 2023.
- Cable TV penetration in Norway stood at 78% of households in 2022.
- Satellite TV subscriptions declined by 12% to 120,000 in Norway from 2021 to 2022.
- NRK1 channel reached 1.2 million unique weekly viewers in 2023.
- Sports broadcasting rights for Eliteserien football cost TV2 678 million NOK per year as of 2023.
- IPTV services grew by 8% in subscriber numbers to 650,000 in Norway in 2022.
- Children's TV programming on NRK had 25% audience share among kids aged 3-12 in 2023.
- TV advertising spend per capita in Norway was 412 NOK in 2022.
- Discovery Networks channels had a combined 15% market share in Norway in 2023.
- NRK's Super channel for youth had 180,000 daily viewers aged 10-19 in 2023.
- Terrestrial digital TV (DVB-T) coverage reached 99.9% of Norwegian population in 2023.
- Viaplay streaming service had 1.1 million subscribers in Norway by end of 2023.
- TV news viewership on NRK Dagsrevyen averaged 620,000 viewers per evening in 2023.
Television Broadcasting Interpretation
Even as Norway's television advertising revenue grows steadily and traditional giants like NRK and TV2 maintain formidable audiences, the market is unmistakably pivoting toward streaming, with platforms like Netflix now commanding nearly half of all viewing time and satellite subscriptions rapidly declining into niche territory.
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