OVERVIEW
Screen Encounters with Britain (SEB) is an AHRC-funded research project at King's College London that explored how transnational video-on-demand services like Netflix and YouTube affect the nature and extent of European audiences' digital encounters with the UK.
Using a mixed-methods approach, which combines document analysis to assess market trends with quantitative and qualitative audience research methods, it established: (1) How young Europeans define, find, access, value and experience screen content from the UK, and what motivates them to do so; and (2) how they understand the UK and British culture based on their screen consumption and wider UK-related experiences, and how this impacts their attitudes about the UK.
The research focused on young, digital audiences (aged 16-34) in four case study markets: Denmark, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands.
Project Site
Screen Encounters with Britain (SEB) is an AHRC-funded research project at King's College London that explored how transnational video-on-demand services like Netflix and YouTube affect the nature and extent of European audiences' digital encounters with the UK.
Using a mixed-methods approach, which combines document analysis to assess market trends with quantitative and qualitative audience research methods, it established: (1) How young Europeans define, find, access, value and experience screen content from the UK, and what motivates them to do so; and (2) how they understand the UK and British culture based on their screen consumption and wider UK-related experiences, and how this impacts their attitudes about the UK.
The research focused on young, digital audiences (aged 16-34) in four case study markets: Denmark, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands.
Project Site
IMPACT
Research findings were shared widely with industry, policy and academic communities in the form of open access interim country reports, webinars, knowledge exchange roundtables, academic publications and an end of project symposium and report.
Research findings were shared widely with industry, policy and academic communities in the form of open access interim country reports, webinars, knowledge exchange roundtables, academic publications and an end of project symposium and report.
Screen practitioners benefitted from a better understanding of how young European audiences find British content and what they like and value about it. UK political institutions and cultural policy makers will benefit from insights about how young Europeans perceive the UK and the role screen content plays in shaping perceptions.
PUBLICATIONS
2026 D’Arma, A., Esser, A., Hilborn, M. & Steemers, J. ‘Public Service Media and Entertainment: The Challenge of Engaging with Younger Audiences’. In Digital Media Shadowing Democracy: Technology, Communication, and Power, eds. A. Balčytienė et al. (Nordicom). OA.
2024 Bengesser, C, Hilborn, M, & Steemers, J ‘Comparative VOD catalogue research: Circulation, presence and prominence of British content in Europe’. Convergence, 31, 1511-1531. https://doi.org/10.1177/13548565241268057. OA.
2024 Esser, A., Hilborn, M., & Steemers, J. Screen Encounters with Britain. What do young Europeans make of Britain and its digital screen culture? Interim Report Italy. King’s College London. https://doi.org/10.18742/pub01-195. OA.
2023 Esser, A., Hilborn, M., & Steemers, J. Screen Encounters with Britain. What do young Europeans make of Britain and its digital screen culture? Interim Report Netherlands. King’s College London. https://doi.org/10.18742/pub01-177. OA.
2023 Esser, A., Hilborn, M, & Steemers, J. Screen Encounters with Britain. What do young Europeans make of Britain and its digital screen culture? Interim Report Germany. King’s College London. https://doi.org/10.18742/pub01-139. OA.
2023 Esser, A., Hilborn, M, & Steemers, J. Screen Encounters with Britain. What do young Europeans make of Britain and its digital screen culture? Interim Report Denmark. King’s College London. https://doi.org/10.18742/pub01-118. OA.
2024 Bengesser, C, Hilborn, M, & Steemers, J ‘Comparative VOD catalogue research: Circulation, presence and prominence of British content in Europe’. Convergence, 31, 1511-1531. https://doi.org/10.1177/13548565241268057. OA.
2024 Esser, A., Hilborn, M., & Steemers, J. Screen Encounters with Britain. What do young Europeans make of Britain and its digital screen culture? Interim Report Italy. King’s College London. https://doi.org/10.18742/pub01-195. OA.
2023 Esser, A., Hilborn, M., & Steemers, J. Screen Encounters with Britain. What do young Europeans make of Britain and its digital screen culture? Interim Report Netherlands. King’s College London. https://doi.org/10.18742/pub01-177. OA.
2023 Esser, A., Hilborn, M, & Steemers, J. Screen Encounters with Britain. What do young Europeans make of Britain and its digital screen culture? Interim Report Germany. King’s College London. https://doi.org/10.18742/pub01-139. OA.
2023 Esser, A., Hilborn, M, & Steemers, J. Screen Encounters with Britain. What do young Europeans make of Britain and its digital screen culture? Interim Report Denmark. King’s College London. https://doi.org/10.18742/pub01-118. OA.
