An analysis by engineer and writer Xavier Roig, published by VIA Empresa, calculates that public support, service contracts and institutional advertising for media outlets reached €59.6 million in 2025, compared with €28.8 million in 2020.

For Catalan residents, the calculation puts a €30.8 million rise in recorded public spending on the media sector over five years into view. Roig’s analysis says the 2025 total was 107% higher than in 2020.

“Media subsidies have risen from €28.8 million in 2020 to €59.6 million in 2025, an increase of 107%.”

The figures are based on an analysis of published funding information by Menjometre.cat, according to Roig. The analysis says its coverage does not include every possible source of public funding, such as European funds or state and municipal advertising not published by outlet.

How the 2025 total was calculated

Roig divides the €59.6 million total into three categories:

  • €20 million in direct subsidies.
  • €6.7 million in contracts.
  • €33 million in institutional advertising.

The analysis attributes €45.6 million of the total to the Generalitat, Catalonia’s regional government. It lists €9.8 million from other administrations, €2.6 million from other local councils, €950,000 from provincial councils and €120,000 from Barcelona City Council.

It also records €400,000 from other autonomous communities and €120,000 from Spain’s central government.

158 recipients listed in the analysis

The analysis identifies 158 companies and entities as recipients. Among those receiving less than €1 million, it lists 20 minutos Editora S.A. at €924,799 and Caxier Edicions at €137.

Totmedia Serveis de Comunicació, the group that includes VIA Empresa, received €272,493 in 2025, according to the article.

The Generalitat’s scheme for private journalism companies supports digital and print projects intended to promote and consolidate Catalan and Aranese in the Catalan media space. The portal currently marks applications as closed.

Primary sources: ajuntament.barcelona.cat, canalempresa.gencat.cat. Reported by viaempresa.cat, Xavier Roig, menjometre.cat, Gisela Revelles, VIA Empresa.