Remembering Operación Triunfo: A Latin Music Reality Show in the Era of Talent Shows

The music format Operación Triunfo (2001–2011), which aired on RTVE for the first time in 2001, started as a television (TV) and musical success in Spain and today is one of the most famous shows around the world as well as an incredible socio-economic phenomenon in Spanish TV. This paper describes the format concept and results. Both commercial and social aspects are introduced to understand why, after 15 years, it is remembered with nostalgia and remains a shining example of a good communication project and a perfect balance between the global and the local, despite the lack of great success in the following years in Spain and abroad.