CONECTA: Latin America’s love affair with unscripted content was laid bare yesterday as Federico Eberhardt of Argentina-based Fabric Data spelled out just how popular the genre has become in the region, with streamers driving the trend.
Federico Eberhardt at Conecta
Unscripted television is no longer a supporting act in Latin America – it’s the main event.
According to new data presented by Federico Eberhardt, global sales manager at research firm Fabric Data, here at the Conecta Fiction & Entertainment conference in Spain, the Latin American market has seen explosive growth in unscripted formats across streaming platforms. Tubi is leading the charge with more than 8,000 unscripted series and movies on its platform. From reality TV to true crime, this genre is not just dominating catalogue offerings but also winning viewer loyalty and driving commissioning strategies.
The numbers speak for themselves. As of this month, Latin America’s 1,134 streaming services offered over 36,000 unscripted titles, representing a significant share (12%) of the more than 290,000 titles available in the region. Documentaries and reality TV dominate the top five unscripted sub-genres, alongside music, shortform and historical content. The sheer scale of these offerings reveals how unscripted formats have matured from programming filler into premium strategic assets for platforms.
Eberhardt’s presentation, based on research from BB Media, a Fabric Data subsidiary, shows that unscripted formats are now central to viewer engagement metrics across Latin America. Streamer Max leads the field in terms of audience share for unscripted programming, holding 17% of the region’s most-viewed content in April 2025. It is followed closely by Globoplay, Apple TV+ and Netflix, all of which continue to invest in local unscripted originals to attract and retain subscribers.
Culinary competition show Top Chef VIP Chile
Among the top-performing titles are a suite of regional originals that reflect not just genre popularity, but also strong cultural alignment. Shows like Top Chef VIP Chile, The Challenge: El Desafío, Soltos no Carnaval, Drag Race México and La Casa de los Famosos topped the charts across platforms in 2023 and 2024. Their success demonstrates how Latin American audiences are responding to competitive reality, celebrity formats and dating shows tailored to national markets.
The reasons behind this shift are as much to do with economics as creativity. Unscripted formats tend to have lower production costs than scripted drama and faster turnaround times, making them highly attractive in a region where budget efficiency remains a key priority. But there is more to their appeal. As Eberhardt notes: “True crime and reality attract loyal viewers,” suggesting that unscripted content is now deeply embedded in viewer behaviour and expectations.
In addition, Eberhardt’s report identifies a surge in formats “based on true stories” that straddle the boundary between documentary and drama. Titles such as The Lady of Silence, The Asunta Case, Society of the Snow, I’m Still Here and Cromañón have made significant impact on both streaming charts and critical reception. These projects represent a new genre blend where factual narratives meet the emotional and stylistic conventions of high-end fiction. For Latin America, where many countries have rich, complex histories and socio-political legacies, this genre fusion offers fertile creative ground and wide regional relevance.
Format adaptation Drag Race México
One of the most important shifts highlighted by Eberhardt is the strategic embrace of local-first and coproduction models. These production strategies are now seen as key engines of success, particularly in unscripted content. The exec underscores that “local-first strategies and coproductions are paying off,” pointing to the ability of platforms to generate regionally relevant content with global potential. Coproductions not only allow producers to share costs and access new audiences, but also to meet rising demand for fresh IP in a competitive streaming landscape.
The streaming ecosystem in Latin America is also evolving in platform diversity, with a number of services now competing for leadership in unscripted content. According to Fabric Data’s HITS measurement, which tracks the most-viewed titles on digital platforms, Max consistently led the field in 2025, but the broader market is more fragmented than ever. Services such as Globoplay, Netflix and Apple TV+ have each carved out niches in reality and documentary sub-genres, while smaller or regional streamers are increasingly active in commissioning unscripted titles with local flair.
Eberhardt also noted that piracy remains a relevant factor in content tracking across the region. Although precise figures were not given, piracy scores were tracked alongside social buzz, IMDb ratings, YouTube activity and OTT platform data to form a composite view of content popularity. This multi-variable approach suggests that traditional audience ratings are no longer sufficient to measure real-world engagement – especially in regions with high informal content consumption.
Argentinian competition series The Challenge: El Desafío
Another factor contributing to unscripted’s momentum is the rapid expansion of free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) platforms in Latin America. As Eberhardt notes: “FAST platforms point to the future,” particularly for unscripted content, which suits the lean-back, channel-surfing experience that FAST services emulate. With fewer barriers to entry, high refresh rates and a heavy reliance on unscripted libraries, these platforms are likely to become major distributors of reality formats and documentaries in the near future.
Genre evolution within the unscripted space is also notable. Documentary remains the most offered unscripted genre, with more than 23,700 titles currently on Latin American platforms. Reality TV follows with over 3,150 titles, while shorter formats, music and history also show steady growth. These figures highlight the diversity within unscripted programming, which is no longer limited to conventional competition shows but now includes true crime, biographical content, lifestyle programming and experimental storytelling.
Interestingly, Fabric Data’s insights also suggest that the strength of unscripted content lies not just in volume but in consistent performance across touchpoints. Metrics such as monthly performance charts confirm that unscripted formats frequently dominate top-ranking positions on multiple platforms over time. This performance consistency has made unscripted content one of the most bankable assets in the Latin American streaming economy.
The implications for the wider television industry are substantial. First, unscripted content has become a core pillar in content strategy for both global and regional streamers operating in Latin America. Second, the competitive differentiation of platforms is increasingly defined by their ability to produce high-performing unscripted formats. Third, the economics of unscripted production offer valuable leverage in an environment where content budgets are tightening and subscriber growth is maturing.
La Casa de los Famosos debuted on Colombia’s RCN
Maritza Ariza Periodista via CC
This environment creates both opportunity and pressure for local producers. With demand for unscripted content higher than ever, production companies must innovate in format design, maintain high production values and explore hybrid models that blur the lines between genres. At the same time, rights management, brand integration and scalable distribution models will become increasingly important in monetising content over the long term.
In conclusion, Eberhardt’s presentation confirms that Latin America is not just embracing unscripted content – it is helping to redefine what the genre can be. With over 36,000 unscripted titles now live on streaming platforms, regional audiences have shown a clear preference for formats that are engaging, localised and rooted in reality.
Whether through celebrity competition shows, historical documentaries or hybrid true-crime series, unscripted content is shaping the next chapter of Latin America’s television industry – and global players are paying close attention.
