Morocco’s media landscape is undergoing a radical transformation, driven by the rapid expansion of streaming platforms including Netflix, YouTube, TikTok, Spotify and Shahid. According to DataReportal, the country counted 35.3 million internet users at the start of 2025, a penetration rate of 92.2 percent. The Agence nationale de réglementation des télécommunications recorded 31.5 million users in 2024, representing a growth of 22.5 percent compared with 2019.
The analysis review, relayed by Finances News Hebdo, shows the shift is reshaping how audiences relate to content. Social media platforms attract 21.3 million active accounts, with Instagram gathering close to 15.9 million users and TikTok counting 14.6 million adult users. Traditional television is ceding ground to on-demand consumption, driven by smartphone penetration, algorithmic recommendation and the growing appeal of short-form video. Neal Mohan, CEO of YouTube, has described the platform as “the new television,” likening content creators to genuine entertainment start-ups capable of competing with established media industries.
The commercial challenge, however, is formidable.
International operators have adapted their pricing to Moroccan purchasing power: Netflix subscriptions range from 35 to 90 dirhams per month, while Spotify offers student plans from 23 dirhams. Despite these adjustments, the industry continues to grapple with a deeply entrenched free-content culture and persistent piracy. Audiences are willing to fund internet connectivity, but extending that willingness to stacked paid subscriptions in music, sport and entertainment faces significant economic and cultural resistance.
The spread of electronic payment may accelerate the transition. With more than 21 million bank cards in circulation at the end of 2025 and sustained growth in digital transactions, the technical barriers to online payment are diminishing, even if the behavioral shift has yet to fully materialize.
For Morocco’s traditional media, the dual challenge is to retain audience share while maintaining a direct relationship with readers and viewers who increasingly follow content creators rather than media brands. The credibility and analytical depth of established publishers remain assets, but their viability will depend on the speed with which they adapt formats and revenue models to an environment where the primary currency is attention — and where converting generalized connectivity into durable revenues has become the defining industrial challenge.
