Global Streaming Cultures: Business, Politics & Practices of Video-on-demand

Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney, HBO; all these streaming platforms are now operating on a near global basis and are main protagonists of the so called “Streaming Wars”, but they also have many successful local competitors from Europe, be it Viaplay which recently launched in the US or the offers of national public service media such as DR or BBC iPlayer. Global Streaming Cultures examines the business, politics and practices behind the global operations and the local competition in the globalized Video-on-demand (VoD) market.

The course covers the development of the VoD market in the US and Europe, the various business models and practices of legacy players and new platforms, political and regulatory reactions to the rise of globally operating services as well as audiences’ practices in relation to streaming of audiovisual content. Theoretical perspectives addressed include salient concepts of cultural and economic globalization (e.g. media imperialism, platform capitalism, geo-linguistic regions), key terms of media industry studies (e.g. vertical integration, transnational expansion) and concepts from transnational audience studies (e.g. cultural proximity, banal cosmopolitanism). The students develop methodological competencies in the analysis of media industries based on industry sources, the comparison of national media systems based on economic, cultural and political indicators as well as transnational audience studies.

The course’s practical dimension concerns the development of a business idea for a streaming service. Students develop and present their business idea based on theoretical concepts and research introduced in the course as well as evidence and insights gathered in their own research. Guests from the media industries are featured in the course.

Course leader

Cathrin Bengesser

Target group

Bachelor's level

Fee info

EUR 830: EU/EEA citizens
EUR 2112: NON-EU/EEA citizens

Scholarships

No scholarships available

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