Crime on demand: formats, narratives, and gender representation in Spanish true crime for VOD platforms (2016–2025)
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Abstract
This article analyzes the narrative characteristics and trends of true crime content produced in Spain for video-on-demand (VOD) platforms between 2016 and 2025. Through a mixed-methods approach based on the analysis of 35 productions, the study examines narrative strategies, gender representation, and prevailing criminological profiles. The findings reveal a sustained rise in true crime content from 2021 onwards, peaking in 2024, as well as a clear preference for documentary formats over fiction. The narratives predominantly focus on perpetrators rather than victims. Regarding gender representation, there is a tendency to emphasize cases involving women, particularly when they appear as perpetrators. The conclusions point to the consolidation of true crime as a strategic content genre within Spanish VOD platforms.
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