Catalan language content on Netflix accounts for 0.5% of the catalog

Audiovisual content in the Catalan language on Netflix is almost nonexistent as the platform offers only 0.5% of its catalog in the language, as shown by a new study published on Tuesday by the Audiovisual Council of Catalonia (CAC).

There are currently 30 titles available on Netflix that have Catalan language as an option for audio or subtitles, CAC’s analysis stated. Two years ago, in 2020, this figure was 0.3% as there were only nine pieces available in Catalan.

Over the same timeframe, the streaming platform has doubled its total offering, increased from 3,512 up to 6,034 movies and TV series.

Netflix is the most used streaming platform in Catalonia ahead of Amazon Prime and Disney+ which has surpassed HBO Max as the third most-watched.

Overall in the territory, there are 9.7 million subscriptions to on-demand platforms. Netflix has 58.8% of the Catalan population over the age of 14 subscribed to its services.

Catalan language future

For the future of the Catalan language, "it is necessary" to include quotas in the Audiovisual law, CAC president Roger Loppacher said.

At the end of 2021, senior coalition partner in the Catalan government, Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya, agreed to a 6% quota of content on streaming platforms in the Catalan language with the Spanish executive.

Listen to our podcast on the Catalan language and the dangers it encounters at school, public institutions, and social life.

Promoting Catalan among Youtubers and influencers

Three Catalan-speaking territories came together in October 2021 to stand up for their shared language in the audiovisual sector.

Catalonia, Valencia and the Balearic Islands aimed to go beyond the audiovisual sector in defence of the language: the language policy heads of each territory agreed to enforce strategies to promote Catalan among young people, especially among creators of content, such as Youtubers and influencers.

They also announced their hope to resume introductory courses of Catalan for those European university students who spend some time in any of the areas as part of an exchange programme.

To get to know more about Catalan language courses, check our podcast on "Learning Catalan, at home and abroad."

The three-way meeting held in Barcelona is part of an agreement started in 2017 for which Catalonia, Valencia and the Balearic Islands would cooperate to boost their shared culture and language. The next forum will take place in Valencia in March 2022.