The reality showswhich are part of television entertainment for decades, have gained weight in the way people imagine and experience the world. Titles such as “Operation Triunfo”, “Big Brother” or “Masterchef” are still, years after their premiere, part of the usual television programming and gather around their proposals to millions of spectators. It is a success built on adaptation capacity and the search for formulas to attract attention.

On the evolution experienced by the genre and its social impact, Jaume Vilalta, commercial director of the Banijay Group – which groups producers such as Gestmusic, Shine Iberia or endemol has reflected – during a conversation with Íñigo de Luis, director of Strategy in Arena Media. The talk, entitled “Reality, simulation and game”, took place in the meeting of In Real Life (IRL), the project with which Arena is exploring how the media and the advertising industry configure the reality and the way in which people understand the world. Together with the Cultural Research Laboratory Cell Lab, Arena Media has carried out a thorough inquiry to treat different areas.

In this meeting the first three areas were addressed and three blocks of contents were structured: the era of the image and the light life in which we live immersed; the world as a show about the increasingly narrow relationship between reality and fiction; and reality as a drill, about the evolution and success of reality shows. Next we collect what is raised in this third and last block.

The keys to the success of the reality shows

For Vilalta the success of the reality shows It is based on an essential aspect of the nature of the human being, which is the interest in knowing what happens to other people in certain circumstances. It is an entertainment formula built on emotions such as curiosity and intrigue, or sensations such as suspense.

However, the realities They work with other additional emotions. On the one hand, it offers uncertainty, unforeseen and not knowing what is the following that will happen, although all programs keep a structure and follow a similar dynamic. On the other hand, the excitement that provides the possibility of being able to influence the destiny of the contestants, mainly through the vote for expulsion.

“I think that one of the virtues of realities is their ability to react to any situation, that is the key that has made them stay current and relevant”Said Vilalta.“Many think that realities are seen by morbidity, but each format has managed to find a different hook, something that makes it unique and that connects with the audience”

In the case of “Big Brother”, according to the manager, it would be the power of the vote; While in “Survivors”, it would be adrenaline and curiosity to know if they will reach the end of the experience. On the other hand, in “Masterchef” the attractiveness would be the spirit of overcoming the contestants, and in “Operation Triunfo”, the fan phenomenon and the construction of community.

The attraction of the spectators by the realities It also resides in intelligence when generating show almost in real time, thanks to the identification of the plots and stories that arise from the coexistence of the participants, or the evolution of the game or contest. In this sense, they are able to build a narrative adapting to the changes and expand it through its integration into the chain grill or the incorporation of external elements, such as gathering spaces.

A case of technological evolution

Gender has also been promoted by technological development and the strategic way in which the different tools has incorporated and integrated. Thus, the realities They are no longer seen on television, as was the beginning of the century, but now they can also be enjoyed in online retransmission channels 24 hours; or through audiovisual fragments published on social networks such as Instagram or Tiktok. They can even be contemplated on demand in the new versions that streaming services have coined.

Beyond the way of consuming them, realities They have also embraced different mechanics to boost interaction and participation by spectators. Over the years, the first calls to decide the destiny of the contestants added the SMS and then the websites, social networks or mobile applications have joined.

Vilalta illustrated this increase in public participation by sharing an anecdote related to the “Operation Triunfo” 2017 edition. While contemplating the live retransmission of the reality, a spectator realized that the Aitana singer had left some plates of the hair lit at the end of fixing. He published a message on Twitter – now X – mentioning Noemí Galera, director of the Academy, warning of the situation. Thanks to this, the program team was able to intervene and safeguard the integrity of the contestants and the facilities.

“The relationship with brands and the way in which they think they can be part of the universe of realities, interacting with content and spectators has also changed”, Added the commercial director of Grupo Banijay. This relationship has gone from the most traditional advertising in the form of inserts to interactive experiences, raffles or even the use of artificial intelligence.

The social impact of realities

The adaptation and evolution of realities It has made gender not only win followers, but have driven their social impact and their influence on perceptions. “The realities have touched reality and normally addressed issues that, even society itself, did not address. Issues such as equality, diversity or tolerance”Said Vilalta.

That is why realities They will continue to be part of the consumer entertainment mix, welcoming and feeding on reality. At the same time, they will continue to help shape that reality in which they live. The manager, however, ensures that they will be one more piece in a complete and complex panorama.

“In the same way that TV has not ended the radio, or social networks with streaming, reality will continue to contribute, and will evolve towards all those spaces that allow enriching the experience”, Said Jaume Vilalta. According to his vision, the genre will also gain complexity, especially with regard to the incorporation of the spectator’s subjectivity, in such a way that they make him feel part or, even, the protagonist of the entertainment they propose.
“In the end, the reality is that they entertain and that people like to see them”, He concluded.

If you want to see the complete conversation, you have it in the following video:

If you prefer to listen to the audio this encounter, here we leave it in podcast format: