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Part of
Reception Studies and Audiovisual Translation
Edited by Elena Di Giovanni and Yves Gambier
[Benjamins Translation Library 141] 2018
► pp. 321–342

Chapter 15
New audiences, international distribution, and translation

The interconnectivity made possible by the technological advancements of the past three decades has changed the way how audiences engage with audiovisual content around the world. On the one hand, viewers have become empowered consumers who are also engaged in the distribution of content; on the other, companies serving global audiences have emerged as key players in the audiovisual market. With more access to content, through piracy or official channels, new consumption habits, such as binge watching, have become common among viewers. Non-professional subtitling has played a key role in the expansion of the audiovisual market, the configuration of international audiences and the development of new viewing traditions. By looking at non-professional subtitling as a constituent of the international media flows, this chapter proposes Translation Studies should look at the reception of non-professional subtitles at a global scale to understand the interplay between non-professional subtitling, its producers/users and the audiovisual market, as well as the societal impact of the phenomenon.

Keywords: binge watching, piracy, convergence, non-professional subtitling, reception
Article outline
  • 1.The empowerment of users
  • 2.Piracy, media consumption, and audiences
  • 3.Binge watching: From piracy to Netflix
  • 4.The role of translation: From fansubbing to non-professional subtitling
  • 5.Exploring the new audiences through translation and understanding translation through new audiences
  • 6.Final remarks
  • Notes
  • References
Published online: 15 June 2018
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/btl.141.16orr
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