In a nation where digital streams are surging and television still commands prime-time loyalty, Singapore's media landscape is a fascinating battleground of tradition and transformation, as seen in the fact that digital video-on-demand has overtaken traditional TV for younger demographics even as 98.5% of households retain access to broadcast services.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, Singapore's television advertising revenue reached SGD 450 million, marking a 5% year-on-year growth driven by increased demand for sports broadcasting.
- As of 2023, 98.5% of Singapore households have access to digital terrestrial television services provided by Mediacorp.
- Mediacorp's Channel 8 averaged 15.2% audience share in prime time slots during 2022.
- The Straits Times daily print circulation was 134,500 copies in 2022.
- Singapore's newspaper advertising revenue totaled SGD 250 million in 2022, down 7% YoY.
- 68% of Singapore adults read print newspapers weekly in 2023 survey.
- Singapore's digital news subscriptions grew 25% to 250,000 in 2023.
- Online video consumption averaged 120 minutes daily per user in 2022.
- 96.5% internet penetration rate in Singapore households 2023.
- Radio listenership in Singapore stands at 85% weekly reach for ages 12+ in 2023.
- Mediacorp's Class 95 FM has 1.2 million weekly listeners in 2022.
- Radio advertising revenue was SGD 120 million in 2022, stable YoY.
- Singapore film industry box office revenue was SGD 250 million in 2022.
- Golden Village Cinemas held 42% market share with 12 screens in 2023.
- Local films accounted for 8% of total box office in 2022.
Singapore's media industry blends traditional TV and print with strong growth in digital platforms and advertising.
Digital and Online Media
- Singapore's digital news subscriptions grew 25% to 250,000 in 2023.
- Online video consumption averaged 120 minutes daily per user in 2022.
- 96.5% internet penetration rate in Singapore households 2023.
- Social media users totaled 5.1 million in Singapore Jan 2023.
- Online advertising spend reached SGD 2.1 billion in 2022, 55% of total ad market.
- YouTube monthly active users in Singapore: 4.8 million in 2023.
- News websites like Mothership.sg attracted 10 million monthly visits in 2022.
- Streaming platforms held 42% share of video consumption in 2023.
- TikTok users in Singapore: 3.2 million aged 18+ in 2023.
- Programmatic ad buying accounted for 65% of digital ad transactions 2022.
- Mobile news consumption: 75% of total digital news time in 2023.
- Netflix subscribers in Singapore estimated at 1.5 million in 2023.
- Influencer marketing spend grew 30% to SGD 100 million in 2022.
- Facebook daily active users: 3.9 million in Singapore 2023.
- Online news revenue from subscriptions: SGD 50 million in 2023.
- 82% of Singaporeans use smartphones for news daily 2023.
- Search ads 40% of digital ad spend, SGD 840 million 2022.
- Podcast listeners in Singapore: 2.1 million monthly in 2023.
- E-commerce live streaming sales via media platforms: SGD 1.2 billion 2022.
- Instagram users: 2.8 million in Singapore 2023.
- Digital out-of-home (DOOH) ad spend up 18% to SGD 80 million 2023.
- 55% of online video views on mobiles in Singapore 2022.
- LinkedIn users in Singapore professional media: 2.5 million 2023.
- Online gaming streams averaged 500,000 viewers daily 2023.
- Twitter (X) ad revenue in Singapore: SGD 45 million 2022.
- 40% growth in short-form video ad spend to SGD 300 million 2023.
- CNA digital monthly unique visitors: 12 million in 2023.
Digital and Online Media Interpretation
Singapore is a nation perpetually plugged in, where our palms hold sway over everything from billion-dollar ad budgets to the fate of traditional news, proving we’ll happily pay for a subscription if the algorithm lets us watch one more video first.
Film, Cinema, and Advertising Media
- Singapore film industry box office revenue was SGD 250 million in 2022.
- Golden Village Cinemas held 42% market share with 12 screens in 2023.
- Local films accounted for 8% of total box office in 2022.
- Cinema attendance recovered to 12 million tickets sold in 2023.
- Advertising market total spend: SGD 3.8 billion in 2022, media at 70%.
- Shaw Theatres operated 14 cinemas with 5,000 seats in 2023.
- "I Not Stupid 3" grossed SGD 1.5 million locally in 2022.
- Cinema ad revenue per screen: SGD 150,000 annually average 2023.
- 65% of ad spend on digital, 20% TV, 10% OOH, 5% print in 2022.
- Film production grants from IMDA: SGD 40 million disbursed 2022.
- Average ticket price SGD 12.50 in Singapore cinemas 2023.
- Hollywood films 75% box office share in 2022.
- WE Cinemas chain closed 3 locations amid pandemic recovery 2023.
- OOH advertising grew 15% to SGD 380 million in 2022.
- "Crazy Rich Asians" sequel impact: boosted local film funding 20% 2023.
- Cinema chains total screens: 120 across 15 locations 2023.
- Brand sponsorships in films: SGD 10 million total 2022.
- 3D screenings 25% of total tickets sold in 2023.
- Total media ad spend growth 8% to SGD 3.8B in 2023 forecast.
- Animation films from Singapore studios exported to 20 countries 2022.
- Premium cinema seats (recliners) 30% of total capacity 2023.
- Film festivals like SGIFF screened 200 titles to 50,000 attendees 2022.
- Transit ads (MRT) 18% of OOH spend SGD 70M 2022.
- Local scriptwriters numbered 450 registered with IMDA 2023.
- IMAX screens: 4 in Singapore generating SGD 20M revenue 2022.
- Product placement in local films: average 5 brands per movie 2023.
Film, Cinema, and Advertising Media Interpretation
While local films are still searching for their blockbuster moment, clutching just 8% of the box office, Singapore’s media industry as a whole is sitting pretty on a hefty SGD 3.8 billion advertising spend, proving that even if we don’t always star in the movie, we’re definitely funding the commercial breaks.
Print and Newspaper Media
- The Straits Times daily print circulation was 134,500 copies in 2022.
- Singapore's newspaper advertising revenue totaled SGD 250 million in 2022, down 7% YoY.
- 68% of Singapore adults read print newspapers weekly in 2023 survey.
- The New Paper tabloid sold 85,000 copies daily on average in 2022.
- Classified ads comprised 22% of total newspaper ad space in 2023.
- Berita Harian Malay newspaper reached 120,000 readers daily in 2022.
- Print media market size was SGD 450 million in 2022.
- Tamil Murasu circulation stood at 15,000 copies in 2023.
- 45% of newspaper revenue came from circulation in 2022.
- Sunday Times circulation peaked at 210,000 copies in 2022.
- Display ads fell 12% to SGD 180 million in newspapers 2022.
- 52% of readers aged 50+ for print newspapers in 2023.
- SPH Media Trust restructured with 1,200 staff in print division 2023.
- Local news pages averaged 40% of total newspaper content in 2022.
- Magazine print run for Women's Weekly Singapore was 50,000 monthly in 2022.
- Newspaper recycling rate in Singapore reached 85% in 2023.
- Ad lineage (column cm) declined 15% YoY to 2.5 million in 2022.
- 30% of print readers also subscribe to digital editions in 2023.
- Straits Times subscription price rose 10% to SGD 32.90 monthly in 2023.
- Regional papers like TODAY had 95,000 daily readers in 2022.
- Print media employed 2,500 journalists in Singapore 2023.
- Colour ad premium was SGD 20% over black-white in newspapers 2022.
- 65% trust in newspaper reporting per 2023 Edelman Trust Barometer Singapore.
- Lianhe Zaobao circulation 110,000 in 2022.
- Newsprint import volume was 120,000 tonnes for Singapore media in 2022.
- Supplements contributed 25% to newspaper ad revenue 2023.
- Shin Min Daily News print run 80,000 copies daily 2022.
Print and Newspaper Media Interpretation
The numbers paint a portrait of a print media industry in Singapore that is simultaneously a trusted, ingrained habit for a devoted older audience and a business in a sobering, strategic retreat, fighting to monetize its credibility as advertising steadily migrates elsewhere.
Radio Broadcasting
- Radio listenership in Singapore stands at 85% weekly reach for ages 12+ in 2023.
- Mediacorp's Class 95 FM has 1.2 million weekly listeners in 2022.
- Radio advertising revenue was SGD 120 million in 2022, stable YoY.
- Average daily radio listening time: 2.1 hours per person 2023.
- 95.7FM (Gold 90.5) music station topped charts with 18% share 2022.
- Drive-time (7-10am) slots capture 45% of daily radio ads 2023.
- Podcasting overtook AM/FM for 18-24s with 55% preference 2023.
- SPH Radio's ONE FM reached 800,000 Mandarin listeners weekly 2022.
- Car radio listenership: 78% of drivers tune in daily 2023.
- Radio news bulletins aired 500 times daily across stations 2022.
- 30-second spot rates on top FM stations: SGD 800 peak 2023.
- Women 25-44 demo: 62% weekly radio listeners 2023.
- Digital radio (DAB+) trials reached 50,000 listeners in 2022.
- Talk radio share grew to 25% from 20% in 2020-2023.
- Money FM 89.3 business station: 450,000 weekly audience 2023.
- Radio multitasking with driving: 92% in 2023 survey.
- Local music airplay quota: 40% on commercial stations 2022.
- Peak listener hours (6-9am/pm): 1.5 million concurrent 2023.
- Community radio stations like RadioHeat: 200,000 youth listeners 2022.
- Ad-supported radio revenue breakdown: 60% national, 40% local 2023.
- Symphony 92.4 classical station: 150,000 loyal listeners weekly 2023.
- Radio production costs per hour: SGD 2,000 average 2022.
- 70% of Singaporeans discover music via radio in 2023.
- Oldies 96.3 Love FM: 1 million weekly reach 2022.
- Radio events sponsorships generated SGD 20 million 2023.
- Tamil radio RIA 89.7 FM: 300,000 listeners monthly 2023.
Radio Broadcasting Interpretation
While podcasts are the new fling for the young, radio remains Singapore’s steadfast, multitasking workhorse, serenading 85% of the nation in cars and kitchens while quietly moving $120 million in ads to the familiar rhythm of drive-time chatter and a 40% local music heartbeat.
Television and Broadcasting
- In 2022, Singapore's television advertising revenue reached SGD 450 million, marking a 5% year-on-year growth driven by increased demand for sports broadcasting.
- As of 2023, 98.5% of Singapore households have access to digital terrestrial television services provided by Mediacorp.
- Mediacorp's Channel 8 averaged 15.2% audience share in prime time slots during 2022.
- In 2021, free-to-air TV viewership among 25-44 year olds dropped to 65% from 72% in 2019.
- Pay-TV subscriptions in Singapore totaled 1.2 million in 2022, with StarHub leading at 45% market share.
- Average daily TV viewing time per person in Singapore was 2.8 hours in 2023.
- Sports content accounted for 28% of total TV ad spend in Singapore in 2022.
- Mediacorp launched 12 new original dramas on Channel 5 in 2022, attracting 1.5 million viewers per episode on average.
- Digital video-on-demand (VOD) overtook traditional TV for 18-34 demographics with 62% preference in 2023.
- TV household penetration rate stood at 99.1% in Singapore as of end-2022.
- In 2022, news programming captured 22% of total TV audience share across all channels.
- Advertising rates for 30-second prime time slots on Channel U rose 8% to SGD 5,000 in 2023.
- 45% of Singaporeans watched live sports on TV during the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
- Mediacorp's CNA (Channel NewsAsia) reached 4.2 million unique viewers monthly in 2023.
- Traditional TV revenue declined 3% to SGD 1.1 billion in 2022 amid streaming competition.
- 72% of TV ads in Singapore were 15 seconds or shorter in 2022.
- Channel 8's Chinese New Year specials drew peak audiences of 1.8 million in 2023.
- IPTV services grew 12% in subscribers to 850,000 in 2022.
- Women aged 50+ represented 28% of total TV viewership in 2023.
- Local content hours on free-to-air TV increased 15% to 4,500 hours in 2022.
- TV news credibility rating among Singaporeans was 82% in 2023 survey.
- Prime time (7-11pm) accounted for 55% of daily TV ad impressions in 2022.
- Mediacorp's kids channel Okto reached 450,000 children monthly in 2023.
- Cable TV market share fell to 15% from 22% in 2018-2022 period.
- 60% of TV viewers multitask with mobiles during viewing sessions in 2023.
- Drama genre held 35% audience share on Channel 8 in 2022.
- TV production costs averaged SGD 500,000 per hour for local series in 2023.
- 1.1 million households subscribed to Singtel's mio TV in 2022.
- Late-night programming viewership grew 10% post-pandemic in 2023.
- Public service broadcaster Mediacorp allocated SGD 300 million for content in 2023.
Television and Broadcasting Interpretation
In a landscape where traditional television clings like a determined auntie to her 99% household reach, its heart—the advertising revenue—beats stronger for sports and news, even as its arteries harden with declining revenue and its younger audience floats away on digital streams.
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