Lost (and cost) in translation: the effects of dubbing and subtitling on the consumption of foreign television and cinema in Italy

In a world where technological tools and intermediaries are making international communication and trade easier and more accessible than ever, the industry of entertainment seems to be becoming more diverse and open to products from all over the globe. People are now able to consume an almost endless supply of content and in this scope, they are faced with trade-off decisions, when it comes to choosing which product to watch. One of the main characteristics of a film or tv show that can represent a barrier to consumers is its origin and thus its original language. This is where translation practices like dubbing and subtitling come into play. As much as the role of language and translation has been analysed in economic literature, specific insight into its role in the consumption of cultural goods and media seems to have been overlooked. In this research, it is my intention to offer insight into how the translation methods of dubbing and subtitling can affect and transform a consumer’s journey with an audio-visual product, with an exact focus on Italian audiences under 30. Specifically, I analyse individual tastes and preferences for the two methods, and then how dubbing and subtitling impact the attitude towards a product, the future demand for similar content and the willingness to pay in order to access it. Moreover, I analyse how other external factors such as the national context or the educational background shape consumption and appreciation for differently translated content. The paper begins with an explanation of the role of language and translation based on literature mainly coming from the disciplines of behavioural economics and cognitive psychology, and I provide some information and theories about the effect of dubbing and subtitling on the consumption of foreign TV shows and films. Second, I apply such concepts and conduct empirical research through a survey based on a sample of young audiences from Italy. I then employ statistical analysis on the survey result and draw my conclusions that dubbing and subtitling do in fact influence consumer choices in different directions, with a slight preference and more positive attitude for dubbed content, even if the population is slowly opening to new forms of consumption.