Digital Consumption
Streaming platforms continue to reshape how audiences access audiovisual content, expanding far beyond traditional linear television. These services began by curating series but soon branched into formats such as reality shows and competitions, which historically lived on smaller screens. Shows like Victory Operation, Save Me, and a new edition of Yellow Humor are proving that online platforms can revive formats once tied to conventional TV. The question many ask is whether the online model can fully supplant the old television system.
Market data from Kantar shows that traditional television is hitting record lows in recent months. Audiences now enjoy leisure options that were unavailable not long ago. These platforms replace some TV functions for certain social groups, according to Reinald Besalú, Deputy Director of the Audiovisual Production Observatory at Pompeu Fabra University.
Yet analysts caution that these reports do not capture viewing outside standard chains. It is important to distinguish standard television consumption from television use as a device that encompasses all broadcasting platforms, video channels, and games. While Traditional TV is declining quickly, overall consumption remains relatively steady, notes José Manuel Eleta of the Communications Directorate of Barlovento.
Brand Building
Opération Triunfo is slated to premiere a 2023 edition on Amazon Prime Video after three seasons on RTVE. Romero observes that the program has evolved beyond the distributor’s identity and now stands as a major brand in its own right. Brands entering new environments often spur growth in the digital space, he explains. However, opting for a paid platform can clash with the nature of these formats, which historically relied on linear channels to reach mass audiences.
The UPF Observatory’s deputy director supports this view, suggesting Prime Video’s aim with OT is to become a television staple in Spain, regardless of market success. This is about brand recognition and consumer perception, not just immediate outcomes.
Switching to Platforms
The return of OT to Televisión Española in 2017 signaled a digital turning point, backed by record engagement on social networks and YouTube, and the rise of new formats. The managing director notes that with the 2020 edition behind them and RTVE reconsidering renewal, OT appears to have a stronger digital future than a purely linear one. Gestmusic remains the show’s producer.
Gestmusic provides Prime Video with a format that already has broad recognition. Platforms have historically relied on advertising to drive subscriptions, but when content is already part of a country’s cultural memory, selling becomes less about aggressive promotion.
Global Formats and Brands
According to Tinet Rubira, CEO of Gestmusic, many platforms focus on widely familiar formats and brands because a large share of sales is pre-handled by existing fan bases. Viewers seeking these programs must access the dedicated apps that host them.
Last Age Group
Even an older audience that still enjoys traditional television has shifted; Sálvame moved to Netflix after leaving Telecinco. The aim is not to boost Netflix’s overall audience but to explore whether platforms can engage viewers in a cultural landscape where streaming is deeply embedded. Besalú notes that this is a measured experiment with modest expectations and cost.
Predicting how this experiment will unfold across platforms remains challenging. What is clear is that multinational companies are cautious about returns on these moves while recognizing the potential to reach new viewers.
Get Data Back
Besalú argues that a broad return to linear viewing is unlikely as society shifts. People still crave information, sports, and entertainment, but consumption now spills onto other screens and is harder to measure, he explains. Joan Corbella, director of the UPF Audiovisual Production Observatory, emphasizes the need to reinvent and differentiate traditional channels.
Economically, the shift toward reality shows and competitions on broadcast platforms ties to tighter budgets. Advertising revenue has declined for traditional TV, limiting program scopes. Platforms used to invest heavily in series argue that these formats remain affordable and can attract attention and new audiences, the director adds.
Meanwhile, platforms are increasingly displacing traditional operators by occupying space with serials, programs, and reality formats. The professor sees a future where the television ecosystem centers on versatile formats and cross-platform distribution.
The audience is saturated with audiovisual content. Streaming services may struggle to sustain a weekly flood of releases and will need to adapt. Eleta notes subscriptions may have peaked, prompting a move toward more traditional television strategies, similar to what Netflix has begun experimenting with through advertising.
Industry leaders acknowledge that content strategies will broaden. The future television landscape will likely blend familiar brands with new formats, enabling producers to create content for multiple channels. Warner and Disney have signaled a step toward sharing content across platforms. This approach helps reduce costs while expanding reach.
Barlovento’s deputy director believes the future of television edges back toward traditional models, albeit with nuanced changes. Corbella argues for a possible return to an earlier television world where the same company produces programs for several channels. The goal is not to abandon innovation but to fold it into a broader, more resilient ecosystem.