Broadcast formulas and television debates consumption in Spain in the 2019 parliamentary election

Abstract

Television electoral debates are considered one of the most relevant events during the election period due to their high audience and also because of the power they generate to direct the media agendas. The present research examines the transmission of this format in front the proliferation of screens, diffusion on the social networks, introduction of on de-mand services, and on the go consumption together with the emergence of new television performers. This quantitative study analyses the debates issued during the parliamentary elections in Spain, which took place on the 28th of April 2019, in order to learn about their impact further than traditional television consumption and the engagement achieved. The methodology employed combined the monitoring of different platforms. The conclusions obtained support that the emission of this kind of debates takes place through new distribution channels, generating a high tracking rate on Twit-ter. The broadcasting strategies of the television chains differ.