Is an OTT Platform for Kids the Solution? An Analysis of Content and Strategies for Reaching Young Audiences in PSM in Catalonia

Abstract

Public service media (PSM) face challenges in their adaptation to the digital era within a context of platformisation, with young audiences being the least engaged with them. Taking a case-study approach, this article examines the content and distribution strategies of Catalan PSM (CCMA) in Spain for reaching children and young people. Using a qualitative methodology consisting of content observation, document consultation, interviews and a focus group, this study explores one of the main challenges for PSM, which is to connect with young audiences. The results show that budget cuts affected innovation within the CCMA, which in turn impacted on its creation of new programming and its presence on digital platforms and in the digital sphere. An over-the-top (OTT) platform for children’s content was launched in 2022 after many years of hardly any new CCMA strategies for reaching this target audience.