Streaming Platforms and Traditional TV Forge New Alliances, University of Alicante Study Finds

A new University of Alicante study analyzing 325 fiction series released in Spain between 2020 and 2024 reveals that streaming platforms have not displaced traditional television. Instead, the two distribution models are increasingly collaborating and sharing content. The research highlights how broadcasters and video-on-demand (VOD) services are forming strategic partnerships, co-producing series, and licensing content across platforms. This shift matters because it signals a more integrated media landscape where viewers benefit from broader access, while companies maximize revenue and audience reach. Rather than a winner-take-all battle, the industry is evolving toward a hybrid model that leverages the strengths of both linear TV and on-demand streaming. The study underscores the resilience of traditional television in the digital age, even as consumer habits continue to shift toward streaming. As the Spanish market illustrates, the future of television may be less about replacement and more about reinvention through cooperation.