Audience reception research in audiovisual translation (AVT) and media accessibility (MA) has been developing and expanding in recent years due to factors such as a heightened awareness of the need to understand and cater to the needs and preferences of audiences and the growing use of more advanced, diverse and user-centred methods and approaches (Di Giovanni, 2020; Greco, 2018).

While the experimental turn in AVT and MA reception research is still in the early stages (Greco, Jankowska and Szarkowska, 2022), scholars are using increasingly sophisticated experimental methods and are working collaboratively on international studies with larger participant numbers (see the WATCH ME project). Moreover, initiatives such as the UK Subtitling Audiences Network are bringing together researchers and industry collaborators to pool expertise and develop innovative methods for AVT and MA reception research. Researchers are also adopting participatory approaches and are increasingly understanding audiences as active produsers and prosumers (Di Giovanni, 2018a; 2018b).

However, while progress has been made in recent years, many gaps, challenges and deficiencies remain to be tackled, such as the imperative for a wider adoption of user-centred, participatory approaches, the need for greater methodological rigour in experimental research, and the importance of conducting reception research with diverse audiences.

Taking the above as a starting point, in this talk I critically examine the recent and current landscape of audience reception research in AVT and MA. I conclude by identifying key directions and challenges for the future advancement of reception research in AVT and MA beyond the state of the art.