Digital Marketing in Chile: Trends and Forecasts for 2026

According to a DataReportal, 18.8 million people use the internet in Chile. It shows a highly mature digital market. With 94.5% penetration, the internet is already close to saturation, so future growth in user numbers will likely be modest. 

Against this backdrop, the key challenge for brands is no longer simply reaching audiences online, but competing effectively for their attention in an already well-developed digital environment. High connectivity, strong smartphone usage, and active digital media consumption make Chile an important market for advertisers looking to combine reach with precise audience targeting.

In this article, we explore the main digital marketing trends shaping Chile in 2026, the role of mobile in consumer behavior, and the opportunities this market creates for brands seeking sustainable growth.

Why Chile Is a Mature and Mobile-First Market for Digital Marketing 

The data shows a strongly mobile-first environment in Chile. Since 95.3% of internet users go online via mobile phones, any brand planning communication in Chile should treat mobile as the primary channel. At the same time, 69.8% still use desktops or laptops, so the market is better described as mobile-led, but multi-device, not mobile-only.

The average weekly connected media time of 52 hours 49 minutes points to very high digital engagement. This means users are not just connected, but spending substantial time in digital environments. It creates strong opportunities for content, advertising, e-commerce, and app-based communication.

Since the audience is already heavily digitalized, success depends more on media quality, targeting precision, creative relevance, and mobile-first execution than on basic digital access.

Chile’s Digital Audience: Why People Go Online 

Internet use in Chile reflects a highly functional and utility-driven digital environment. 

According to Data Reportal, the leading reason for going online is finding information (73.9%), followed by staying in touch with friends and family (68.3%) and researching how to do things (66.2%). 

Entertainment also plays a major role, with accessing and listening to music (64.3%), keeping up to date with news and events (62.5%), and watching videos, TV shows, or movies (59.9%) ranking among the top motivations. 

The strong share of users researching products and brands indicates a market where digital channels directly influence consumer decision-making. For marketers success in Chile depends not only on visibility, but on delivering content that is informative, timely, and contextually relevant. 

Why Gaming Apps Are a Valuable Source of Mobile Traffic in Chile 

Smartphones are the leading device for gaming in Chile. 57.0% of internet users aged 16+ are playing video games on their phones. It makes gaming apps an especially valuable source of relevant traffic and a strong environment for reaching active mobile audiences.

Since users spend time in these apps on a regular basis, gaming inventory offers brands frequent contact with consumers in a highly engaged digital setting. For this reason, gaming apps are an effective placement for programmatic mobile advertising.

At BYYD, we use gaming apps as one of the key environments for brand promotion in mobile advertising. Since mobile games attract large and highly engaged audiences, they provide strong opportunities to reach users in their everyday digital routines.

Chile’s Advertising Landscape: Total vs. Digital Spend 

Chile’s total advertising market is estimated at $2.08 billion. At the same time, digital advertising reached $1.17 billion. 

An equally important signal is that 56% of all advertising spend in Chile already goes to digital channels, including search and social media. This indicates that digital is no longer a supporting channel, but a core part of the country’s advertising ecosystem. 

For brands, the conclusion is clear: growth opportunities are increasingly concentrated in digital environments. 

Programmatic Advertising in Chile: 75% of Digital Spend and Rising 

Programmatic advertising in Chile is estimated at $881 million. This fact confirms that automated media buying has already become a mainstream part of the country’s digital ecosystem. 

With programmatic accounting for 75% of total digital ad spend, the model is no longer emerging. It is the dominant way digital inventory is bought and sold. This level of adoption signals a mature market where advertisers increasingly rely on data-driven, scalable, and measurable buying methods rather than manual processes.

The in-app advertising in Chile is estimated at $422 million, which highlights the growing importance of mobile and tablet apps in the country’s digital media mix. With in-app accounting for 36% of total digital ad spend, app-based environments already represent a significant share of the market. 

As a result, in-app advertising is becoming an increasingly valuable tool for building awareness, improving targeting accuracy, and supporting scalable programmatic campaigns.

Digital Marketing in Chile: Key Takeaways

5 key conclusions:

1. Chile is a highly mature digital market. With 18.8 million internet users and 94.5% internet penetration, the country is already close to saturation.
2. Mobile should be the starting point of any digital strategy in Chile. Since 95.3% of internet users access the internet via mobile phones, Chile is clearly a mobile-first market. 
3. Chilean users are highly engaged and use the internet with clear intent. People go online not only for entertainment, but also to find information, research how to do things, stay informed, and evaluate products and brands. 
4. Digital is already the core of Chile’s advertising market, and programmatic is leading that shift. Digital ad spend reached $1.17 billion, accounting for 56% of total ad spend, while programmatic represents 75% of digital advertising spend. This shows that automated, data-driven buying is no longer an emerging practice in Chile. It is already the dominant model.
5. In-app and gaming environments are becoming increasingly important for brand promotion. 

BYYD runs mobile advertising campaigns across Latin America, including Chile, helping brands reach audiences in fast-growing and highly engaged digital markets. We combine in-app programmatic buying, precise targeting, and strong creative solutions. It is necessary to deliver campaigns that support both brand awareness and performance goals.

Interested in testing this approach and seeing tangible results in 2026?

Reach out to BYYD — a top programmatic platform designed to help brands grow and meet their objectives.

Check out our case studies and send us an email – let’s launch your next campaign together.

Found this helpful? Share it with your friends and colleagues!

For consultations and partnership inquiries:

• Submit a request on our website 
• Email us at hello@byyd.me