tag:theconversation.com,2011:/ca/topics/amazon-video-32702/articlesAmazon Video – The Conversation2022-02-25T13:28:57Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1777912022-02-25T13:28:57Z2022-02-25T13:28:57ZLord of the Rings: debunking the backlash against non-white actors in Amazon’s new adaption<p><a href="https://www.tolkiensociety.org/author/biography/">J.R.R. Tolkien’s</a> much-loved fantasy <a href="https://www.tolkien.co.uk/product-category/the-lord-of-the-rings/">The Lord of the Rings</a> is a work of epic scale, portraying races of imaginary beings in the medievalesque setting of Middle-earth, culminating in a battle of good against evil. <a href="https://variety.com/2021/film/news/lord-of-the-rings-peter-jackson-risky-trilogy-1235123548/">Peter Jackson’s film adaptations</a> in the early 2000s established the iconography and aesthetics that many fans grew up with and consider almost sacred.</p>
<p>Now Amazon’s new <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lord-Rings-Power-Season/dp/B09QH97PTF">adaptation</a> of Tolkien’s world is coming to our screens in September: The Lord of the Rings – The Rings of Power. Recent <a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2022/02/amazon-the-rings-of-power-series-first-look">reports</a> and a newly released trailer have revealed more details about plotlines, ramping up the anticipation.</p>
<p>But it is the diverse casting, which includes non-white actors playing an elf and a female dwarf, which has caused uproar in certain quarters of Tolkien fandom. Some fans argue that Tolkien never described elves, dwarves or hobbits as anything but white, and claim that the casting is disrespectful to his books. But this argument is flawed in two ways.</p>
<p>First, these are imaginary creatures which are not always clearly described in the original books – Tolkien was more interested in metaphysical than biological questions. Still, there is some evidence of dark-skinned elves and hobbits in drafts of <a href="https://harpercollins.co.uk/products/morgoths-ring-the-history-of-middle-earth-book-10-christopher-tolkien?variant=32756314144846">The Silmarillion</a> and the prologue of The Lord of the Rings.</p>
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<p>Second, even if Tolkien had specified that all elves, dwarves and hobbits were white, it still wouldn’t matter. Adaptations are original cultural products that can imitate, question, rewrite or interpret source material in various ways. Each adaptation is a new text. And each is an opportunity to update outdated and unacceptable tropes, and find ways to represent and normalise non-white characters.</p>
<h2>Reinventing Tolkien for the 21st century</h2>
<p>As adaptation theory scholar Linda Hutcheon has <a href="https://www.routledge.com/A-Theory-of-Adaptation/Hutcheon/p/book/9780415539388">shown</a>, adaptations offer “the pleasure of repetition with variation”. For example, in 2005 the Nigerian-British actor David Oyelowo was cast as <a href="https://www.theatermania.com/new-york-city-theater/reviews/prometheus-bound_10352.html">Prometheus</a> in the Greek tragedy, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Prometheus-Bound-play-by-Aeschylus">Prometheus Bound</a>.</p>
<p>This version of the play presented audiences with a black Prometheus in chains, bringing to mind images of slavery, adding a further layer of complexity to the Titan who suffered for humanity. It will be interesting to see how Amazon will use these casting choices to interpret, critique or expand Tolkien’s world. </p>
<p>But as disgruntled fans might reason, if Amazon must have a diverse cast in this drama, why not stick to having actors of colour playing the characters who are dark-skinned in Tolkien’s texts? But that would perpetuate and reinforce the racialised view of good and evil in Middle-earth. Despite Tolkien’s overall message of friendship and co-operation, and despite his <a href="https://theconversation.com/was-tolkien-really-racist-108227">raging against the Nazis</a>, the face of evil in Middle-earth is invariably non-white/non-European.</p>
<p>Tolkien’s portrayal of the Orcs (legions of evil creatures) and the men who ally themselves with Sauron (the arch-villain of LOTR) <a href="http://dimitrafimi.com/2018/12/02/revisiting-race-in-tolkiens-legendarium-constructing-cultures-and-ideologies-in-an-imaginary-world/">uses many stereotypes</a> associated with <a href="https://www.teenvogue.com/story/what-is-orientalism">orientalism</a> and the language of prejudice often found in literature from the era of British imperialism (Tolkien was born and grew up in the late Victorian and Edwardian periods). Reproducing this white/non-white divide along moral lines would endorse a very old fashioned and harmful equation of physical characteristics with moral choices.</p>
<h2>‘But Tolkien would have hated it!’</h2>
<p>Even if we somehow knew what Tolkien would have thought about the new Amazon series, it wouldn’t matter. The author sold the rights to The Lord of the Rings during his lifetime and signed away his right to have a substantial influence over any new adaptation.</p>
<p>But some believe Tolkien was writing a “<a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/45320444?seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents">a mythology for England</a>”, and used myths and texts from Germanic cultures that had nothing to do with people of colour. However, Tolkien <a href="https://luke-shelton.com/2022/02/12/why-calling-tolkiens-work-a-mythology-for-england-is-wrong-and-misleading/">never actually referred</a> to his own work in this way. This phrase was introduced by his biographer, <a href="https://www.tolkien.co.uk/products/j-r-r-tolkien-a-biography-humphrey-carpenter-9780008207779/">Humphrey Carpenter</a>.</p>
<p>In a 1951 letter to a potential editor, Milton Waldman, Tolkien stated that he had intended to dedicate his work to England, but in the same letter also wrote that he wanted to leave space for “other minds and hands” to contribute to his mythology.</p>
<p>But why would audiences these days think of England as white anyway? The country has become a vibrant melting pot of which people of colour are very much a part. Why would an contemporary adaption not reflect that? </p>
<p>In any case, the idea that people of colour were not part of Britain or Northern Europe in the ancient and medieval past is false. There is plenty of evidence of <a href="https://blogs.reading.ac.uk/the-forum/2017/07/28/how-diverse-was-roman-britain/">diversity in Roman Britain</a>, for example. As for the Vikings, they were not a homogenous or “pure” racial group (especially due to trade and raids).</p>
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<img alt="A young JRR Tolkien in army uniform during the first world war." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/448332/original/file-20220224-27-8dspz2.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/448332/original/file-20220224-27-8dspz2.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=869&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/448332/original/file-20220224-27-8dspz2.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=869&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/448332/original/file-20220224-27-8dspz2.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=869&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/448332/original/file-20220224-27-8dspz2.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1091&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/448332/original/file-20220224-27-8dspz2.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1091&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/448332/original/file-20220224-27-8dspz2.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1091&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Tolkien as a 24-year-old British Army lieutenant in 1916.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tolkien_1916.jpg">WIkipedia</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
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<p>More recently, films such as <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7MGUNV8MxU">Thor</a>, based on the superheroes from Marvel Comics show figures of <a href="https://norse-mythology.org/">Norse mythology</a> played by black actors Idris Elba and Tessa Thompson. Why should an adaption of Tolkien’s literary work not do the same?</p>
<p>Any new adaptation of such a beloved fantasy world as Tolkien’s is bound to disappoint some of the more “purist” fans, but adaptations are products of their times and a re-envisioning of the original material they are based on.</p>
<p>Once it airs, the new Amazon series will be critiqued by academics and fans alike for many of its choices regarding plot, characterisation and setting. But judging the casting based on skin colour and claiming Middle-earth as exclusively white is not just misguided, it clearly exposes what researcher Helen Young has called <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Race-and-Popular-Fantasy-Literature-Habits-of-Whiteness/Young/p/book/9781138547704">fantasy’s “habits of whiteness”</a>.</p>
<p>As a popular element of 21st-century culture, fantasy’s issues with race, racism and white privilege are subjects the genre has not yet fully addressed. Amazon’s new series is a step in the right direction.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/177791/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Adaptations are original cultural entities that can imitate, question, re-write, or reinterpret their source material for new audiences.Dimitra Fimi, Senior Lecturer in Fantasy and Children's Literature, Co-Director, Centre for Fantasy and the Fantastic, University of GlasgowMariana Rios Maldonado, PhD Candidate in Comparative Literature, University of GlasgowLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1701802021-10-25T15:03:34Z2021-10-25T15:03:34ZSmart doorbells: how to use them without infringing a neighbour’s privacy<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/428274/original/file-20211025-19-1cnnke9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=10%2C0%2C7170%2C4791&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/woman-rings-house-intercom-camera-installed-1747420274">RossHelen/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>As any local solicitor can tell you, some of the most bitter legal disputes originate from <a href="http://www.problemneighbours.co.uk/neighbourissuescategory.html">disagreements between neighbours</a>. Whether it’s property boundaries, loud music or parking spaces, what might initially be minor irritations can gradually lead to a full-blown court battle.</p>
<p>A relatively recent development in neighbour conflicts are clashes centred on home surveillance products, such as <a href="https://www.pcmag.com/picks/the-best-smart-home-security-systems">CCTV cameras</a> and <a href="https://www.pcmag.com/picks/the-best-video-doorbells">smart doorbells</a>. These technologies, which may capture footage beyond the householder’s property, can pit householders against neighbours who feel their homes and private lives are being unfairly spied upon.</p>
<p>Indeed, a UK judge <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-58911296">recently ruled</a> that a man’s home security system invaded his neighbour’s privacy, and he now faces having to pay potential damages of <a href="https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/uk-news/brits-video-doorbells-installed-incorrectly-21861280">up to £100,000</a>. So what are the privacy implications of this technology, and what do people need to know if they have, or are considering installing, a smart doorbell?</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/zaos-deepfake-face-swapping-app-shows-uploading-your-photos-is-riskier-than-ever-122334">Zao's deepfake face-swapping app shows uploading your photos is riskier than ever</a>
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<p>The use of surveillance technologies is governed by a range of measures. Some provide advice and guidance, like the surveillance camera <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/surveillance-camera-code-of-practice">code of practice</a>, which sets out <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/368115/Leaflet_v6_WEB.pdf">principles for operators</a> to follow. Others are legal requirements, such as the rules for collection and processing of personal data under the <a href="https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/guide-to-data-protection/introduction-to-data-protection/about-the-dpa-2018/">Data Protection Act 2018</a> and the <a href="https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/guide-to-data-protection/guide-to-the-general-data-protection-regulation-gdpr/">UK General Data Protection Regulation</a> (GDPR).</p>
<p>These measures aim to ensure that any use of surveillance technologies is for legitimate purposes, proportionate, and compliant with relevant legal obligations. A key concern is that surveillance should, as far as possible, be with the informed consent of those surveilled.</p>
<h2>Where do smart doorbells fit in?</h2>
<p>Purely “domestic use” of personal data by a private individual <a href="https://gdpr-info.eu/recitals/no-18/">is exempted</a> from the data protection legislation – for example your list of addresses for sending Christmas cards. But it’s well established that home surveillance systems, including CCTV and smart doorbells, are subject to UK data protection legislation. </p>
<p>A <a href="https://curia.europa.eu/juris/liste.jsf?num=C-212/13">key case</a> in 2014 looked at the use of a home CCTV system by a Mr Ryneš in the Czech Republic. The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) held that while Ryneš’ CCTV system was installed for a legitimate purpose – the protection of his property and personal security – the data collection went beyond that permitted solely for domestic use. This is because it collected personal data from a public space, including a footpath and the entrance to his neighbour’s house opposite. </p>
<p>With this ruling, the CJEU confirmed that domestic surveillance systems fall within the scope of the data protection legislation where they capture data beyond the boundaries of the homeowner’s property. This interpretation remains applicable under UK law for now, although the UK government could potentially alter the scope of the “domestic exemption” now that the UK has left the EU.</p>
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<img alt="A person using a smartphone." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/428125/original/file-20211024-19-1u9kr72.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/428125/original/file-20211024-19-1u9kr72.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/428125/original/file-20211024-19-1u9kr72.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/428125/original/file-20211024-19-1u9kr72.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/428125/original/file-20211024-19-1u9kr72.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/428125/original/file-20211024-19-1u9kr72.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/428125/original/file-20211024-19-1u9kr72.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Smart doorbells notify the homeowner via an app when someone is outside their property.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/young-teenager-girl-hand-using-mobile-1935518875">siamionau pavel/Shutterstock</a></span>
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<p>While this case <a href="https://www.scotcourts.gov.uk/search-judgments/judgment?id=ecb629a7-8980-69d2-b500-ff0000d74aa7">and others</a> that have followed since didn’t involve smart doorbells specifically, the principle is the same. The case of <a href="https://www.judiciary.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Fairhurst-v-Woodard-Judgment-1.pdf">Fairhurst vs Woodard</a> in the English County Court in October 2021 reinforces the view that the courts are likely to take a dim view of those who fail to use home surveillance equipment in a way that respects the rights of other people, including their neighbours. </p>
<p>Woodard installed a range of surveillance technology, including CCTV cameras and a smart doorbell, for home security purposes. But these could record video and audio well beyond the boundaries of his property. He then actively misled his neighbour, Fairhurst, as to how and when the cameras operated. The court found Woodard to have breached his data protection obligation to process data in a lawful and transparent way, and to have collected personal data without a specified or lawful purpose, as required by the Data Protection Act 2018 and the GDPR.</p>
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<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/what-does-gdpr-mean-for-me-an-explainer-96630">What does GDPR mean for me? An explainer</a>
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<p>The court did recognise that home security could be a legitimate purpose for collection of data that would otherwise breach a neighbour’s right to privacy, if the collection was reasonable and proportionate for that purpose. For example, in relation to Woodard’s Amazon Ring doorbell, the court held that capture of incidental personal data (such as video of Fairhurst walking past) was permissible. However, the capture of audio at a significant distance exceeded what was reasonable for the purposes, as did the fact the system’s viewing range recorded large areas of Fairhurst’s property, including her side gate, garden and parking space.</p>
<p>It’s worth noting that Woodard’s use of his home surveillance system, and his interaction with Fairhurst concerning that use, also led to a successful action for harassment against him.</p>
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<h2>Some tips</h2>
<p>If you’re considering installing a home surveillance system, such as a smart doorbell, you should:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>identify a clear and justified purpose for your use of CCTV, such as home security;</p></li>
<li><p>when purchasing a system, consider the scope of data it can capture, whether this is reasonable for your intended purpose, and if the system can be tailored to protect other people’s privacy rights. For example, with some systems it’s possible to disable audio, and to set “privacy” zones which are not recorded;</p></li>
<li><p>ensure there is signage stating recording is taking place, and why;</p></li>
<li><p>keep all data collected secure and accessible only to those who need it, and delete it when no longer needed;</p></li>
<li><p>comply with requirements of the Data Protection Act 2018 and the GDPR, such as responding to requests from individuals about data you may hold on them, and deleting data if requested to do so.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>The <a href="https://ico.org.uk/your-data-matters/domestic-cctv-systems-guidance-for-people-using-cctv/">Information Commissioner’s Office</a> has also produced some helpful advice for people installing home CCTV systems. </p>
<p>Pleasingly, providers are becoming more aware of the risks and requirements of home surveillance technologies and are building in new features which may encourage lawful use. For example, Amazon has recently added <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2021/7/13/22574629/ring-end-to-end-encryption-video-streams-us-global">end-to-end encryption</a> to its smart doorbell technologies. This aims to keep personal data captured secure against misuse by third parties by restricting access to video and audio streams to specified devices and permitted users.</p>
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<p><em>Correction: this article originally said that a man faced a £100,000 fine from a UK judge. This should have said damages instead of a fine, and has now been changed.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/170180/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Andrew Charlesworth does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>A UK court recently ruled that a man’s smart doorbell invaded his neighbour’s privacy, and he now faces being required to pay damages. But this kind of situation is avoidable.Andrew Charlesworth, Professor of Law, Innovation and Society, University of BristolLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1621582021-06-08T17:15:18Z2021-06-08T17:15:18ZWill Amazon’s purchase of MGM mark the end of Netflix’s reign?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/404583/original/file-20210604-27-jtkpbw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C994%2C529&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">In buying MGM, Amazon is clearly demonstrating its ambition to dethrone Netflix and the race for the top spot in the video-on-demand market has never been tighter.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The ruthless war between the world’s leading video-on-demand companies reached a climax when the Amazon acquired the legendary Hollywood studio MGM (Metro Goldwyn Mayer) in a deal worth US$8.45 billion.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.theverge.com/2021/5/26/22441644/amazon-mgm-acquisition-prime-video-subscription-service-james-bond">The sale of MGM</a> on May 26 followed more than six months of negotiations. The American studio known for its roaring lion had been weakened by major financial difficulties before the pandemic. The prolonged closure of movie theatres was the final nail in its coffin.</p>
<p>Although the MGM studio had a low market value (estimated at only US$5.5 billion a few months ago), several giants of the digital industry, including Apple, were interested in buying it. But it was Amazon that won the bid and made history by becoming the first player in the video streaming industry to acquire a major Hollywood studio.</p>
<p>In buying MGM, Amazon is clearly demonstrating its ambition to dethrone Netflix. The Prime Video service already has nearly 200 million users, which puts it close to its Californian competitor with 208 million subscribers. The race for the top spot in the video-on-demand market has never been tighter.</p>
<p>As part of my research on <a href="https://www.decouvrabilite-francophonie.net/">discoverability</a> and access to <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/services/diversity-content-digital-age/analysis-local-national-content.html">diversity in online content</a>, I regularly monitor the transformations and imbalances that are being brought on by the digital distribution platforms that control the global market for cultural goods and services.</p>
<h2>Amazon takes the lion’s share!</h2>
<p>In this age of multi-platform consumption, the most effective way for a company to stand out and attract audiences constantly searching for novelty and diversity is to regularly expand and renew its catalogue. In the war the different platforms are waging against each other to secure exclusive content, the ability to invest in the acquisition or production of original content has become crucial ammunition.</p>
<p>A platform that cannot offer enough new content quickly to gain and retain subscribers will not be able to compete with its competitors. The <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/amazon-would-add-james-bond-content-depth-in-expected-mgm-deal-11621980972"><em>Wall Street Journal</em></a> speculated that the acquisition of MGM was a sign that Amazon was having difficulty producing enough content to satisfy the demand of its Prime Video subscribers.</p>
<p>In the <a href="https://cmf-fmc.ca/now-next/articles/the-internet-the-worlds-biggest-video-store/">gigantic video club</a> that the internet has become, players cannot rely solely on the quality of their catalogue <a href="https://www.techradar.com/news/apple-tv-plus-is-betting-on-quality-over-quantity-for-its-shows">the way Apple does</a> with the Apple TV+ service. In the eyes of subscribers, the number of titles available is as important, or even more important, than the quality of the content being offered.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="MGM's logo with the roaring lion" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/403236/original/file-20210527-17-ai413a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/403236/original/file-20210527-17-ai413a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/403236/original/file-20210527-17-ai413a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/403236/original/file-20210527-17-ai413a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/403236/original/file-20210527-17-ai413a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/403236/original/file-20210527-17-ai413a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/403236/original/file-20210527-17-ai413a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">MGM Studios’ catalogue contains cinematic works that have won more than 180 Oscars and 100 Emmys.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
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</figure>
<p>Amazon has acquired a veritable treasure trove to enrich its catalogue, having obtained the exclusive intellectual property of 4,000 feature films, including <em>The Silence of the Lambs</em>, <em>The Hobbit</em>, <em>The Wizard of Oz</em>, <em>Rocky</em>, <em>Terminator</em>, <em>The Pink Panther</em> and the entire <em>James Bond</em> collection. To add to that, there are about 17,000 MGM television programs, including popular series like <em>Stargate</em>, <em>Vikings</em> and <em>The Handmaid’s Tale</em>. This catalogue includes <a href="https://www.marketwatch.com/story/amazons-8-45b-mgm-deal-includes-icons-like-the-james-bond-movies-and-the-film-thelma-louise-11622038088">cinematographic works</a> that have won more than 180 Oscars and 100 Emmys.</p>
<p>For that matter, the exponential growth of revenues generated by e-commerce and cloud services during the pandemic allowed Amazon to <a href="https://apnews.com/article/lifestyle-health-coronavirus-technology-business-16a950ba630045281458500081d562e6">triple its profits</a> in 2020, when the company saw a 44 per cent increase in revenue over the year.</p>
<p>This has left the company with a very comfortable profit margin of nearly US$11 billion that it can invest in producing original content. That will allow Amazon to increase its offerings by nearly 40 per cent over the previous year. It has also invested nearly US$465 million in the first season of the <em>Lord of the Rings</em> series, considered the most expensive series in the history of television.</p>
<h2>Redrawing the audiovisual landscape</h2>
<p>While <a href="https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/story/2021-03-18/streaming-milestone-global-subscriptions-passed-1-billion-last-year-mpa-theme-report">forecasts</a> anticipated the number of subscriptions to video-on-demand services would reach nearly one billion worldwide by 2019, demand for these services once again boomed during the pandemic.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.csa.fr/Informer/Collections-du-CSA/Thema-Toutes-les-etudes-realisees-ou-co-realisees-par-le-CSA-sur-des-themes-specifiques/Les-etudes-corealisees-avec-le-CSA/Etude-Hadopi-CSA-La-multiplication-des-services-de-video-a-la-demande-par-abonnement">A recent study</a> by France’s Conseil supérieur de l'audiovisuel concluded that the market is now structured around a few global digital players who are all stepping up their investment in local production. As a result, these players are pushing the historically dominant players to change their own differentiation strategies through ambitious takeovers or mergers, editorial positioning, aggregation of exclusive content and by expanding their offer.</p>
<p>The dramatic increase of new content is also confronting players with the challenge of catering to a new type of consumer (including a high proportion of young people) who regularly subscribes and unsubscribes from one audiovisual service in order to test others.</p>
<p>To be able to compete with digital giants, which have gone from being simple distributors and broadcasters to content producers, Hollywood’s major studios now have to be agile and rethink their business models.</p>
<h2>The race for subscribers</h2>
<p>MGM was one of the last pioneers in American film production not to have partnered with an online video platform or to have created its own video-on-demand service.</p>
<p>In contrast, <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2019/3/20/18273142/disney-fox-acquistion-final-hulu-marvel-streaming-21st-century">Disney acquired 21st Century Fox</a> in March 2019 and got its hands on the Hulu platform even before launching its own Disney+ service. The latter passed the 100 million subscribers mark in one year with a catalogue that was enriched with content from Fox, Pixar, Marvel and Lucasfilm Studios.</p>
<p>Another example: after purchasing the conglomerate Warner Media in 2018 and launching its HBO Max platform in May 2020, the <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-05-16/at-t-is-said-in-talks-to-combine-content-assets-with-discovery-kor6r2uj">telecommunications giant AT&T has just decided to merge its activities with Discovery</a>. This will allow it to invest more in original content and offer viewers more choices and new types of video experiences.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A young woman at her computer looks at the Netflix menu to choose a movie" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/403237/original/file-20210527-20-1ahcyum.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/403237/original/file-20210527-20-1ahcyum.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/403237/original/file-20210527-20-1ahcyum.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/403237/original/file-20210527-20-1ahcyum.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/403237/original/file-20210527-20-1ahcyum.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/403237/original/file-20210527-20-1ahcyum.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/403237/original/file-20210527-20-1ahcyum.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">What’s next for Netflix? There are rumours that the platform is interested in entering the video game market.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Amazon’s aggressive strategy is enough to make Netflix shake in its boots: Netflix’s number of <a href="https://fr.statista.com/infographie/24678/nombre-de-nouveaux-abonnes-payants-de-netflix-par-trimestre-et-par-region/">new subscribers is decreasing</a> because of insufficient content renewal and saturation in certain markets (especially in the United States and Canada).</p>
<p>At the same time, by purchasing MGM and acquiring its rich catalogue of movies, Amazon is assured that its Prime Video subscriber numbers will skyrocket in the coming months or years. Amazon could also prevent its main rivals (Netflix, Disney+, HBO Max, Apple TV+) from exploiting the exclusively licensed content in its new catalogue.</p>
<h2>Netflix is preparing its response</h2>
<p>In order to maintain its leadership position, Netflix will have to accelerate its growth in <a href="https://www.jeuneafrique.com/1114880/culture/netflix-lorgne-lafrique-francophone/">promising markets such as French-speaking Africa</a> and diversify its services by offering new content. The multinational <a href="https://www.protocol.com/netflix-survey-nplus-show-playlists">recently surveyed some of its users</a> about a new platform called N-Plus, which could offer the features of a social network (with reviews and comments that can be shared with friends or the community), combined with a news site that could include podcasts, personalized playlists and information on upcoming productions.</p>
<p>There are also rumours that Netflix has ambitious plans to enter the <a href="https://www.futura-sciences.com/tech/actualites/jeux-video-jeux-video-nouveau-grand-chantier-netflix-87587/">video game market</a> and is considering launching a service to compete with Apple Arcade by 2022.</p>
<p>By going beyond its core business to position itself in the video game industry, Netflix would be taking a measured risk. The move would allow it to offer interactive entertainment with content that mixes fiction and video games so it can engage users and attract new audiences.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/162158/count.gif" alt="La Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Tchéhouali Destiny ne travaille pas, ne conseille pas, ne possède pas de parts, ne reçoit pas de fonds d'une organisation qui pourrait tirer profit de cet article, et n'a déclaré aucune autre affiliation que son organisme de recherche.</span></em></p>In the war to secure exclusive content, the ability to invest in the acquisition or production of original content has become crucial ammunition.Tchéhouali Destiny, Professeur en communication internationale, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM)Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1352892020-07-07T18:57:35Z2020-07-07T18:57:35Z3 things ‘ZeroZeroZero’ gets right about the cocaine trade<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/345371/original/file-20200702-111333-1kvxeug.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=4%2C0%2C1492%2C1000&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">'ZeroZeroZero' is a drama based on truth that shows a clear picture of the modern cocaine trade.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8332438/mediaindex?ref_=tt_mv_sm">Amazon</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The Amazon Prime Video series <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZeroZeroZero">“ZeroZeroZero”</a> shows U.S. viewers an accurate picture of the modern cocaine trade that’s rarely seen on screen. It is loosely <a href="https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2020/03/9509591/is-amazon-series-zerozerozero-based-on-a-true-story">based on</a> Italian journalist <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/313544/zerozerozero-by-roberto-saviano/">Roberto Saviano’s nonfiction book</a> by the same name.</p>
<p>I study cocaine trafficking and U.S. drug policy, and the show reveals three truths that challenge the U.S. government’s justification for its war against cocaine trafficking in Central America and Mexico. </p>
<h2>1. Most cocaine isn’t destined for US markets</h2>
<p>A fundamental government assumption is that any cocaine smuggled north out of South America, where it is produced, is inevitably bound for American streets.</p>
<p>That is why the U.S. spends <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/FY-2021-National-Drug-Control-Budget-Highlights.pdf">billions of dollars</a> every year attempting to intercept the boats and planes that shuttle cocaine from South America to Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean – an area known to anti-drug forces as the “<a href="https://www.gao.gov/assets/670/664098.pdf">transit zone</a>.” </p>
<p>In 2018, for instance, the U.S. military trumpeted its role in drug seizures in the region by claiming that American forces had “<a href="https://www.southcom.mil/Portals/7/Documents/Posture%20Statements/SOUTHCOM_2019_Posture_Statement_Final.pdf">helped keep the equivalent of 600 minivans</a> full of cocaine off U.S. streets.” By the same logic, the federal government considers anyone caught moving cocaine anywhere in the transit zone to be threatening the U.S.</p>
<p>That assumption is behind the March 2020 federal indictment of <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/nicol-s-maduro-moros-and-14-current-and-former-venezuelan-officials-charged-narco-terrorism">Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro</a> for, among other things, exporting cocaine to Honduras – which prosecutors claimed was “expressly intended to flood the United States with cocaine.” </p>
<p>And it’s behind the recent federal complaint against <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/former-chief-honduran-national-police-charged-drug-trafficking-and-weapons-offenses">Honduras’ former chief of police</a>, who had allegedly conspired to “transport the drugs westward in Honduras towards the border with Guatemala and eventually the United States.”</p>
<p>Neither case offers proof that the cocaine involved actually entered U.S. territory. <a href="https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/USCODE-2011-title21/USCODE-2011-title21-chap13-subchapII-sec963">U.S. law</a> requires only that the intent be there, and it is assumed that traffickers must intend for the cocaine to reach the U.S. After all, where else would it go?</p>
<p>“ZeroZeroZero” offers the inconvenient answer. Episode 1 takes viewers to northern Mexico as 5.5 tons (5,000 kilograms) of cocaine in sealed pucks are being hidden in the bottom of cans of chilis. Even though the cocaine has made it as far north as Monterrey – less than three hours’ drive from Laredo, Texas – viewers learn by Episode 2 that the drugs are not going to the Mexico-U.S. border. Instead, they take a sharp turn southeast and are loaded onto a container ship at the port of Tampico, headed for Italy.</p>
<p>This is why the show shines. It depicts a little-known reality: Far more cocaine is transshipped through Central America and Mexico to markets worldwide than finds its way up American nostrils.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/345863/original/file-20200706-3953-842kmk.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/345863/original/file-20200706-3953-842kmk.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/345863/original/file-20200706-3953-842kmk.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/345863/original/file-20200706-3953-842kmk.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/345863/original/file-20200706-3953-842kmk.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/345863/original/file-20200706-3953-842kmk.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/345863/original/file-20200706-3953-842kmk.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/345863/original/file-20200706-3953-842kmk.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">From 2012 through 2016, federal data show that, on average, most of the cocaine leaving South America and heading north each year was destined for somewhere other than the U.S.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">The Conversation via SankeyMATIC, with data from Kendra McSweeney</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>How do I know? Illicit commodities are notoriously hard to track. But as I explain in a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugpo.2020.102719">recent article</a>, an obscure U.S. government data set has for years been compiling reliable intelligence on cocaine traffic through the transit zone. When compared alongside <a href="https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RR3140.html">analysts’ best estimates</a> of cocaine consumption in the U.S., the data tell an intriguing story.</p>
<p>Between 2012 and 2016 – years for which there are comparable data – an average of at least <a href="https://www.oig.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/assets/2018-02/OIG-18-43-Jan18.pdf">1,400 tons</a> of high-purity cocaine was annually exported north out of South America and into the transit zone. Of that, law enforcement removed about <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/2020-NDCS-Data-Supplement.pdf">335 tons</a> yearly, whether in the transit zone, at the border or <a href="https://www.dea.gov/sites/default/files/2020-01/2019-NDTA-final-01-14-2020_Low_Web-DIR-007-20_2019.pdf">within the the U.S</a>. In the same period, U.S. cocaine users consumed on average barely <a href="https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RR3140.html">200 tons</a> per year. That means they used less than one-fifth of the available cocaine flow.</p>
<p>So where did the majority of the remaining cocaine go – almost 900 tons a year? There are no comparable sources for the amount consumed in transit zone countries or in Canada. There is, however, strong evidence to suggest that hundreds of tons annually are being trafficked through Mexico and Central America and out to Europe, and across the Pacific to Asia and Australia. Traffickers target those overseas markets for good reason: That’s where the money is, and they have a cheap way to get cocaine there.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3HoRfUKcvdY?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">The cinematography is stunning, and so is the series’ accuracy.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>2. The big money is in growing overseas markets</h2>
<p>The U.S. government’s assumption wasn’t always wrong. A generation ago, the Western Hemisphere cocaine trade did function like a pipeline that started in South America, wound through Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean, and discharged cocaine almost exclusively into American neighborhoods. </p>
<p>In 1990, the U.S. had an estimated 4.3 million cocaine users. Meanwhile, Western Europe’s cocaine markets were still in what a United Nations report called “<a href="https://www.unodc.org/pdf/report_1999-06-01_1.pdf">a developmental stage</a>.”</p>
<p>Now, the picture is dramatically different. U.S. cocaine consumption has been in a prolonged “<a href="http://www.lse.ac.uk/ideas/Assets/Documents/reports/LSE-IDEAS-After-Drug-Wars.pdf">nosedive</a>,” according to a report from the London School of Economics. In 2018, there were <a href="https://wdr.unodc.org/wdr2019/en/stimulants.html">fewer than 2.5 million users</a>, with lower rates of adult use than in many European countries. Experts <a href="http://www.lse.ac.uk/ideas/Assets/Documents/reports/LSE-IDEAS-After-Drug-Wars.pdf">continue to debate</a> why U.S. demand has plummeted. Even the recent and unprecedented <a href="https://wdr.unodc.org/wdr2019/en/stimulants.html">surge in cocaine production in Colombia</a>, which has increased purity and dropped prices in the U.S., has only just curtailed that long slide. </p>
<p>Meanwhile, cocaine consumption in cities across <a href="https://wdr.unodc.org/wdr2019/en/stimulants.html">20 European countries rose 70% from 2015 to 2019</a>. Demand in Australia is <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-true-cost-of-cocaine-11992">high and growing</a>, as it is in Eastern Europe and Russia. Again, “ZeroZeroZero” gets it right: The series ends with the players negotiating a shipment from Mexico to Russia.</p>
<p>Overseas cocaine markets aren’t just expanding. They’re also potentially <a href="https://www.dea.gov/sites/default/files/2020-01/2019-NDTA-final-01-14-2020_Low_Web-DIR-007-20_2019.pdf">far more lucrative</a> than North American ones. In 2017, a kilo of cocaine that sold wholesale for US$28,000 in the U.S. went for <a href="https://dataunodc.un.org/drugs/heroin_and_cocaine_prices_in_eu_and_usa-2017">twice that</a> in Northern Europe. Traffickers stand to make immense profits if they can move large volumes cheaply over long distances. </p>
<p>This is where the containers come in.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/345372/original/file-20200702-111353-16dsu17.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/345372/original/file-20200702-111353-16dsu17.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/345372/original/file-20200702-111353-16dsu17.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=337&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/345372/original/file-20200702-111353-16dsu17.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=337&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/345372/original/file-20200702-111353-16dsu17.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=337&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/345372/original/file-20200702-111353-16dsu17.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/345372/original/file-20200702-111353-16dsu17.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/345372/original/file-20200702-111353-16dsu17.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">‘ZeroZeroZero’ shows container shipping is a key tactic for moving drugs.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8332438/mediaindex?ref_=tt_mv_sm">Amazon</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>3. Bulk cocaine is exported from Mexico and Central America in shipping containers</h2>
<p>Mexico and Central America boast three of Latin America’s <a href="https://www.cepal.org/en/notes/port-activity-report-latin-america-and-caribbean-2018">five busiest maritime ports</a>. The busiest of all is Colón, the Caribbean terminus of the Panama Canal, which after the canal’s recent expansion can handle <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/729955/colon-panama-container-port-cargo-volume/">4.3 million shipping containers</a> per year. In fact, maritime port facilities across the region have been upgraded in recent years, with new capacities and efficiencies that have lowered costs and enhanced the region’s competitiveness as a transoceanic trade hub.</p>
<p>Cocaine traffickers are taking full advantage. The port of Colón has become a major <a href="https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/report-port-of-colon-is-a-new-hub-for-cocaine-smuggling">hub for Europe-bound cocaine</a>. Similarly, Costa Rica’s recently <a href="https://www.thecentralamericangroup.com/the-port-of-moin-in-costa-rica/">enhanced Limón-Moín port facilities</a> have been a <a href="https://www.insightcrime.org/news/analysis/port-in-costa-rica-feeds-european-drug-pipeline/">boon</a> for trans-Atlantic cocaine shipping. In February 2020, inspectors there found <a href="https://www.insightcrime.org/news/analysis/costa-rica-five-tons-cocaine/">5 tons of cocaine</a> in a shipment of ornamental plants destined for the Netherlands. </p>
<p>The same month, a container of mashed bananas out of Limón was stopped in Italy with <a href="https://www.freshplaza.com/article/9198381/italy-seizes-3-tons-of-cocaine-found-in-a-cargo-of-banana-puree-coming-from-costa-rica/">3.3 tons of cocaine inside</a>. In May 2020, a container full of coffee left Honduras’ <a href="https://www.seatrade-maritime.com/americas/ictsi-s-honduras-terminal-upgrades-its-facilities">newly expanded port of Cortés</a>. Upon arrival at Le Havre, France, <a href="https://criterio.hn/en-francia-incautan-1-4-toneladas-de-cocaina-procedente-de-honduras-en-contenedor-de-cafe/">1.5 tons of cocaine</a> were found among the coffee beans.</p>
<p>These are just some of the cocaine seizures that made headlines in the last several months. At best, <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/global-shipping-faces-troubling-new-smuggling-questions-11578330634">1 in 10</a> containers circumnavigating the globe is searched by authorities; the rate is even lower for containers holding perishable commodities like plants and <a href="https://www.insightcrime.org/news/brief/cocaine-hidden-in-fruit-feeds-european-pipeline/">fruit</a>. So these seizures, while large, likely represent just a fraction of the cocaine transshipped via container out of Central America and Mexico.</p>
<p>As “ZeroZeroZero” shows, cocaine traffickers operating in Mexico and Central America may be working in the United States’ proverbial back yard, but their distribution networks reach much more widely than they used to. The U.S. is no longer cocaine’s true north.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/135289/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kendra McSweeney receives funding from the National Science Foundation and has received research support from the Open Society Foundation, the National Geographic Society, the National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center (SESYNC), the American Association of Geographers, and The Ohio State University. </span></em></p>The federal government’s fight against cocaine distribution wrongly assumes that it’s all destined for the US.Kendra McSweeney, Professor of Geography, The Ohio State UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1334142020-04-26T12:01:38Z2020-04-26T12:01:38ZNetflix has capitalized on social isolation, but will its success continue in a post-coronavirus world?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/330262/original/file-20200424-126775-r225ev.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C71%2C6000%2C3916&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Netflix faces many new challengers in the subscription-based video streaming market.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The coronavirus pandemic has been good business for Netflix: the video streaming service has added <a href="https://www.marketwatch.com/story/netflix-adds-more-than-15-million-new-subscribers-stock-rockets-higher-2020-04-21">more than 15 million new subscribers so far this year</a>. From an investing perspective, Netflix always surprises. Either the company’s <a href="https://www.investors.com/news/technology/click/netflix-stock-first-quarter-earnings-report/">quarterly results turn out to disappoint or amaze</a> — rarely do they stay within expectations.</p>
<p><a href="https://mashable.com/article/netflix-q1-2020-subscribers-coronavirus/">Netflix stocks have soared</a> since the beginning of the pandemic as people practising self-isolation have turned to their TVs for comfort, <a href="https://www.investors.com/news/technology/click/netflix-stock-first-quarter-earnings-report/">but fell when the latest results were announced</a> because the growth didn’t fully meet expectations. Will the company’s economic performance continue in the post-pandemic age?</p>
<p>Netflix <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/business-44904368">pioneered the subscription-based video streaming business model</a>. For a fixed monthly fee, subscribers gets a virtual smorgasbord of content — Hollywood, Bollywood, <a href="https://www.un.org/africarenewal/magazine/may-2013/nigeria%E2%80%99s-film-industry-potential-gold-mine">Nollywood</a> and dozens of Netflix’s own productions. </p>
<p>Subscribers can search particular movies or just browse through individually tailored recommendations based on their prior viewing habits. Having such a diverse choice of shows may be good for viewers, but it’s not economically efficient from a business perspective.</p>
<h2>A less efficient service</h2>
<p>The subscription model requires Netflix to buy and produce a wide range of movies and TV series, many of which may be of no interest to a majority of viewers. The larger the range of movies, the less efficient the service.</p>
<p>In contrast, pay-by-view models provided by companies like <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/ca/movie/the-lion-king-2019/id1471367629">Apple through its iTunes store</a> require customers to make a clear decision about whether they want to see the movie before renting or purchasing it. More popular movies may be more expensive, less popular movies could be free or viewed for a small fee. This model is efficient for viewers: you only pay for what you consume and your choices are likely to be better informed.</p>
<p>Both business models have pros and cons. Many viewers enjoy consuming a variety of movies from all over the world, often on an ad-hoc basis. This kind of explorative viewing is encouraged by subscription-based models and less likely when you pay by view.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/330412/original/file-20200424-163062-1azviif.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/330412/original/file-20200424-163062-1azviif.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=288&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/330412/original/file-20200424-163062-1azviif.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=288&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/330412/original/file-20200424-163062-1azviif.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=288&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/330412/original/file-20200424-163062-1azviif.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=362&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/330412/original/file-20200424-163062-1azviif.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=362&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/330412/original/file-20200424-163062-1azviif.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=362&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The Netflix business model is based on movies and series that appeal to wide audiences, as well as niche categories.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Photo Illustration/The Conversation</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/">CC BY-NC</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>However, when rival models co-exist in a competitive industry, <a href="https://repository.upenn.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1041&context=mgmt_papers">the more efficient business models tend to win</a>. The market fails first on the production side. When production companies try to acquire financing for new ventures, financiers are more attracted to movies or TV shows that are similar to what’s currently popular. As a result, <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/martin-scorsese-avenges-the-auteur">current genres will be strengthened while diversity loses. </a></p>
<h2>Must appeal to niche audiences</h2>
<p>This is less of an issue for subscription-based services that need to satisfy viewers with diverse tastes and preferences. This is the world of Netflix. It’s a complicated world because Netflix needs to have shows that appeal to wide audiences, but it must also offer a range of niche programs. </p>
<p>Netflix has about 167 million viewers, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/21/business/media/netflix-q1-2020-earnings-nflx.html">and a large portion of the new subscribers this year have come from viewers outside of North America</a>. <a href="https://qz.com/1788491/netflix-earnings-slow-us-growth-and-rapid-international-expansion/">Building a global audience is a crucial factor</a> for Netflix to remain successful. Different regions have different preferences, so internationalization is an advantage for Netflix because of its diverse choice of content. </p>
<p>This diversity aspect changes the game between subscription-based models and pay-by-view models. What may be a niche movie in one region of the world may be mainstream in another.</p>
<p>Pay-by-view models are unlikely to build such a diverse portfolio, so production companies may still be encouraged to distribute their work via Netflix. For example, the TV series <em>Designated Survivor</em> was cancelled after two seasons on ABC. <a href="https://tvline.com/2019/07/24/designated-survivor-cancelled-season-4-netflix/">Netflix picked it up for a third season</a> and then offered viewers <a href="https://www.express.co.uk/showbiz/tv-radio/1147496/Designated-Survivor-60-Days-How-is-Korean-series-Netflix-connected-US-Designated-Survivor">a Korean version of the show</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/330414/original/file-20200424-163088-k82h0g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/330414/original/file-20200424-163088-k82h0g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/330414/original/file-20200424-163088-k82h0g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/330414/original/file-20200424-163088-k82h0g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/330414/original/file-20200424-163088-k82h0g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/330414/original/file-20200424-163088-k82h0g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/330414/original/file-20200424-163088-k82h0g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Netflix faces many challengers in the subscription-based video streaming market, including a new rival, HBO Max, that will be launched in the U.S. in May.</span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>It’s difficult to say whether Netflix will end up being the standard of TV watching for generations to come. This will mainly depend on how good they are in fighting the competition in different markets with better productions.</p>
<p><a href="https://mashable.com/article/hbo-max-hdr-4k-devices-price/">HBO Max</a>, a new subscription-based streaming service that will offer access to the many great HBO shows from the past as well as new content, is launching in the United States in May. It joins a crowded market of Netflix competitors like Amazon Prime, Disney+ and Apple TV+. To keep ahead of the competition, Netflix has <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/18/investing/netflix-cash-burn-stock/index.html">burned through billions of dollars and has seen its long-term debt quadruple since 2015</a>. </p>
<p>While we don’t know whether Netflix will win the game, the TV world is likely to remain more diverse and affordable for viewers.</p>
<p><em>This is a corrected version of a story originally published April 26, 2020. The earlier story incorrectly stated that most of Netflix’s viewers were based in North America.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/133414/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Felix Arndt does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Netflix has added millions more subscribers as people practice social isolation to control the coronavirus. But service’s diverse menu of content is not an efficient business model.Felix Arndt, John F. Wood Chair in Entrepreneurship, University of GuelphLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1297472020-01-21T14:10:46Z2020-01-21T14:10:46ZOne Ring to rule them all: Surveillance ‘smart’ tech won’t make Canadian cities safer<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/310585/original/file-20200116-72788-1dz4yh0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=32%2C0%2C3609%2C2285&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Amazon says it has considered adding facial recognition technology to its Ring doorbell cameras. Some politicians are concerned Ring's video-sharing partnerships with police departments encroach on people's privacy and civil liberties. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE ASSOCIATED PRESS/Jessica Hill</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Last fall, Drew Dilkens, the mayor of Windsor, Ont., set out to <a href="https://www.iheartradio.ca/am800/news/mayor-dilkens-pushing-for-windsor-to-join-safety-app-1.10000294">make the city the first Canadian urban centre</a> to connect to the Amazon Ring network, which the company calls “<a href="https://shop.ring.com/pages/neighbors">the new neighbourhood watch</a>.” </p>
<p>Ring promises to <a href="https://blog.aboutamazon.com/devices/keeping-more-neighborhoods-safe">keep more neighbourhoods safe</a>, but will smart surveillance systems really make Canada safer? Only if the safety priority is our Amazon packages.</p>
<p>Ring is a suite of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ring-video-doorbell-amazon-sale-2018-7">“smart” home security devices from Amazon</a>, based around video doorbells and an app called Neighbors. The system allows Ring customers to post and view footage from their front doors and report suspicious activity. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tdStku5BQ8g?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Saskatoon police arrested two so-called “porch pirates” who were caught on video stealing boxes containing $5,000 in crucial medical supplies for a two-year-old boy. Police were able to find the suspects and return the packages after the video was shared on social media. CBC.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Customers pay monthly fees to be part of the security network. They can also purchase connected indoor security systems, <a href="https://blog.ring.com/2020/01/06/ces-2020-ring-unveils-new-devices-and-gives-sneak-preview-of-what-is-to-come-this-year/">smart lighting</a> and <a href="https://support.ring.com/hc/en-us/articles/115003247146-Amazon-Echo-Integration-With-Ring-Devices-through-Amazon-Alexa">an integration with Amazon’s Alexa</a>, a smart-home device. </p>
<p>Framed as a way to crack down on “<a href="https://www.cnet.com/how-to/package-theft-solutions-porch-pirates-are-no-match-for-these-smart-home-devices/">porch pirates</a>” stealing packages from doorsteps, the Ring system not only makes money for Amazon, it — conveniently — <a href="https://www.vox.com/recode/2019/8/12/20802325/amazon-ring-ecommerce-package-theft">saves the company from losses</a> on stolen deliveries. Amazon’s “Key” feature even allows smart system users <a href="https://www.amazon.com/b?ie=UTF8&node=17735409011">to grant remote keyless entry to their homes, garages or cars </a> to Amazon delivery drivers, so no package need ever go astray.</p>
<p>Amazon’s all-seeing eye of passwords, access and surveillance infiltrating into communities is not solely a corporate system; it is increasingly connected to civic power. At the annual CES (formerly Consumer Electronic Show) conference in 2020, Amazon announced that <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/ces-2020-amazon-defends-ring-police-partnerships/">at least 400 police departments in the United States</a> had partnered with Amazon Ring in the previous year. </p>
<p>When a crime is reported, police can ask for footage from Ring homes within a radius, bypassing warrants if Ring owners comply. At least one law enforcement agency, Florida’s Lakeland Police department, <a href="https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/mb88za/amazon-requires-police-to-shill-surveillance-cameras-in-secret-agreement">appears to have been contractually obliged </a> to promote doorbells as a result of the partnership.</p>
<h2>What does this mean for citizens and safety?</h2>
<p>Beyond the company’s own <a href="https://tv.ring.com/category/videos/crime-prevention">cheery anecdotes</a>, there is minimal data <a href="https://www.technologyreview.com/s/612307/video-doorbell-firm-ring-says-its-devices-slash-crimebut-the-evidence-looks-flimsy/">proving Ring’s effectiveness</a>. There is <a href="https://www.bizjournals.com/losangeles/news/2016/03/24/ring-cut-burglaries-by-half-in-l-a-neighborhood.html">one positive 2016 report from Los Angeles</a> that predates Amazon’s acquisition of Ring; the methodology of that report has not been made public. </p>
<p>Still, as the pioneering urbanist <a href="http://www.janejacobswalk.org/about-jane-jacobs-walk/meet-jane-jacobs">Jane Jacobs</a> — or anyone from a small town — could tell you, additional <a href="https://www.citylab.com/equity/2013/07/new-way-understanding-eyes-street/6276/">eyes on a street</a> <em>can</em> serve to deter crime. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/310999/original/file-20200120-69555-tzvir1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/310999/original/file-20200120-69555-tzvir1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/310999/original/file-20200120-69555-tzvir1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/310999/original/file-20200120-69555-tzvir1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/310999/original/file-20200120-69555-tzvir1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/310999/original/file-20200120-69555-tzvir1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/310999/original/file-20200120-69555-tzvir1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The evolution from community surveillance with a personal touch to mass digital surveillance of cities is troubling.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Your uncle Bob peering out the window, however, is not the same as Ring. Actually knowing and looking out for your neighbours is not the same as a surveillance network. Ring represents an emerging governance system that, once established, we can neither vote for nor pull the curtains against. Framing Ring as a simple safety app fails to paint an accurate picture of the dangers of a makeshift corporate surveillance infrastructure.</p>
<p>People may assume there’s no risk to them, so long as <a href="https://www.amnesty.ca/blog/7-reasons-why-%E2%80%98i%E2%80%99ve-got-nothing-to-hide%E2%80%99-is-the-wrong-response-to-mass-surveillance">they have nothing to hide</a>. Regardless, surveillance of this kind still creates risks. At the societal level, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1057/ejis.2013.10">the ocean of datafication</a> created by pervasive smart technologies blurs the boundaries between <a href="https://ojs.library.queensu.ca/index.php/surveillance-and-society/article/view/12913">financial, consumer and governmental systems</a>. The datafication of our personal information ultimately reduces citizens to a collection of data points, open to misinterpretation, manipulation and <a href="https://www.prweb.com/releases/ncpdp_experian_health_announce_100_of_the_u_s_population_has_a_universal_patient_identifier_powered_by_experian_health_uim_and_ncpdp_standards/prweb16798860.htm">monetization</a>. </p>
<p>Do we want a societal surveillance system where public crime data is owned by a corporate entity? Amazon’s interests are in profits and prevention of package loss, not in protecting citizen rights.</p>
<p>All smart systems create safety risks, not only of criminals hacking in but <a href="https://theintercept.com/2019/01/10/amazon-ring-security-camera/">also for customers</a>. <a href="https://www.news5cleveland.com/news/local-news/investigations/ethical-hacker-shows-us-how-easily-smart-devices-can-be-hacked-and-give-access-to-your-personal-info">Recent news</a> has been full of stories of <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/marketplace/episodes/archives/home-hack-how-safe-are-your-high-tech-security-devices">smart tech</a> and <a href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/amazon-listens-to-conversations-through-alexa-qh328jlw0">Amazon security lapses</a>, including a hacker who accessed the camera and speaker of a Ring security system in the bedroom of an eight-year-old Mississippi girl and <a href="https://www.cnn.com/videos/tech/2019/12/13/ring-security-camera-hacker-vpx.hln">told her he was Santa Claus</a>. </p>
<p>In addition to hacking, user <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2019/12/30/21042974/wyze-server-breach-cybersecurity-smart-home-security-camera">data leaks</a> are becoming commonplace with cybersecurity systems. Notably, Ring’s December 2019 leak of thousands of customer passwords <a href="https://www.pymnts.com/news/security-and-risk/2019/thousands-of-amazon-ring-passwords-leaked-on-dark-web/">was denied by the company</a>. </p>
<h2>More safety or more problems?</h2>
<p>Amazon has indicated — publicly and in leaked documents — that it’s interested in building out <a href="https://theintercept.com/2019/11/26/amazon-ring-home-security-facial-recognition/">the facial recognition possibilities of Ring</a>. According to documents reviewed by the <em>Intercept</em>, the system would notify Ring owners any time an established “suspicious person” appeared on their property.</p>
<p>Some citizens would bear the brunt of that perceived risk more than others. Along with Ring, companies like NextDoor and Citizen show that <a href="https://www.vox.com/recode/2019/5/7/18528014/fear-social-media-nextdoor-citizen-amazon-ring-neighbors">fear-based neighbourhood social media</a> is already on the rise. Notifications about so-called suspicious persons <a href="https://theappeal.org/spotlight-neighborhood-crime-apps-stoke-fears-reinforce-racist-stereotypes-and-dont-prevent-crime/">feed race and class biases</a> and <a href="https://popula.com/2018/09/10/vigilantes-next-door/">encourage vigilante behaviours</a>. </p>
<p>And even minor misdemeanors like egging cars <a href="https://urbanomnibus.net/2020/01/caught-in-the-spotlight/">can seem like a reason to call the police</a> if there’s video on hand.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ujYMjO1Ybcg?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">In the 1990s, deadly terrorist bombings prompted British officials to adopt the widespread use of closed-circuit television cameras throughout London and beyond. This extensive surveillance system helped solve the deadly bombings of 2005 but has also led to questions about whether these practices constitute a violation of personal privacy. (National Geographic)</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Worse, facial recognition technology is <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/09/technology/facial-recognition-race-artificial-intelligence.html">particularly poor</a> at correctly identifying the faces of women and people of colour. <a href="https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/qvyvzd/amazons-home-security-company-is-turning-everyone-into-cops">Innocent brown and Black community members</a> stand to be mistakenly harassed and even hurt. </p>
<p>U.S. Sen. Edward J. Markey wrote an open letter to Amazon in September 2019, expressing concerned that Ring facial recognition has serious potential to “<a href="https://www.markey.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Ring%20Law%20Enforcement%202019.pdf">catalyze racial profiling and harm people of colour</a>.” As <a href="https://www.thechronicleherald.ca/news/local/woman-accuses-halifax-police-of-racial-profiling-after-violent-walmart-arrest-399171">Canadian cities</a> grapple with racism, classism and discrimination, tools like Ring will only undermine efforts towards breaking down bias. </p>
<p>In the long run, we all stand to be harmed by the happenstance creation of an integrated police-Ring surveillance network. The smart tech promise gets safety backwards. Civil and civic rights matter, and we shouldn’t abandon Canada’s <a href="https://courts.findlaw.ca/article/police-surveillance-when-is-it-legal/">stringent police surveillance regulations</a> for a shiny new version of property security. A society where people are less important than packages is no society at all. </p>
<p>Windsor — and Canada — would be wise to say “no” to Amazon Ring.</p>
<p>[ <em>Like what you’ve read? Want more?</em> <a href="https://theconversation.com/ca/newsletters?utm_source=TCCA&utm_medium=inline-link&utm_campaign=newsletter-text&utm_content=likethis">Sign up for The Conversation’s daily newsletter</a>. ]</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/129747/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Bonnie Stewart does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Amazon says it’s the “new neighbourhood watch” but Ring may just be another technology that gives police too much data and lets neighbourhoods double down on their biases.Bonnie Stewart, Assistant Professor, Online Pedagogy & Workplace Learning, University of WindsorLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1269442019-11-13T19:31:13Z2019-11-13T19:31:13ZDisney takes on Netflix in the streaming wars<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/301480/original/file-20191113-77342-vnpgtp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C2%2C1000%2C624&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The Disney brand, a major asset to establish itself among the players in audiovisual streaming.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Photo Hall/Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Netflix’s competitors are multiplying, and they’re ambitious. After Amazon Prime Video, YouTubeTV and YouTube Premium, Hulu, Sling TV, Now TV, Starz, Showtime Anytime, HBO Now (and soon HBO Max), and Apple TV+, the latest entrant is <a href="http://www.disneyplus.com/">Disney+</a>.</p>
<p>After <a href="https://www.cnet.com/news/disney-plus-streaming-service-launch-release-dates-prices-preorders-shows-movies-mandalorian-pixar/">months of teasing and speculation</a>, Disney launched its platform on November 12 with the clear goal of ending Netflix’s leadership. (It will launch in France on March 31, 2020.) Others have already given up, such as the Japanese giant Sony, which <a href="https://www.vox.com/recode/2019/10/29/20938640/sony-vue-closing-pay-tv-streaming-netflix-youtube-hulu">will close PlayStation Vue</a> in a few weeks.</p>
<p>Given the rising number of platforms, it’s getting more and more difficult to choose between them. All are trying to attract the largest number of subscribers with <a href="https://time.com/5703656/best-streaming-services/">vast catalogs</a> of films, series, shows, sports competitions and documentaries. Most potential customers can’t afford to pay more than two or three subscriptions, and the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2019/jun/27/streaming-tv-is-about-to-get-very-expensive-heres-why">rates are expected to rise</a>. The new offers could cause some of the public to ignore or leave Netflix, yet the pioneering company asserts that competition will only <a href="https://fortune.com/2019/04/17/netflix-compete-apple-disney/">strengthen its dominant position</a>.</p>
<h2>A talent war</h2>
<p>To attract and retain their subscribers, video on demand (VOD) companies rely primarily on <a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/90422502/why-branding-will-be-one-of-the-streaming-wars-most-crucial-battles">the development of brands</a> such as <em>House of Cards</em>, <em>Orange Is the New Black</em>, <em>Money Heist</em>, and <em>Stranger Things</em> for Netflix.</p>
<p>In this field, Disney has its own brand, <a href="https://www.forbes.com/pictures/56c5e73ae4b062f6b59a0a29/the-10-most-powerful-bran/">one of the world’s best known</a>, and it owns <em>Star Wars</em>, Marvel, Pixar, National Geographic, and <em>The Simpsons</em> thanks to the acquisition of <a href="https://www.vox.com/culture/2019/3/20/18273477/disney-fox-merger-deal-details-marvel-x-men">21st Century Fox</a>. The flagship series of Disney+, <em>The Mandalorian</em>, takes place in the universe of <em>Star Wars</em> and has a budget of <a href="https://chipandco.com/disney-series-the-mandalorian-cost-15-million-per-episode-359041-359041/">$15 million per episode</a>. Produced by Jon Favreau, the show has been <a href="https://collider.com/the-mandalorian-season-2-filming-jon-favreau/">renewed for a second season</a>. At least two other <em>Star Wars</em> series are planned, as well as seven <em>Avengers</em>-themed TV shows.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/P7zW53OuvMg?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Disney+, the ultimate streaming destination for entertainment from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, <em>Star Wars</em>, and National Geographic.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Beyond creating strong brands, <a href="https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/story/2019-10-10/streaming-wars-winners-and-losers-disney-plus-netflix-hbo-max-peacock-quibi-apple-tv">each platform tries to attract big names</a>, at the price of huge contracts, to demonstrate its prestige and the quality of its programs.</p>
<ul>
<li><p>Apple is stepping up its game with the launch with <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vA-9w8zylTo"><em>Oprah’s Book Club</em></a>; <em>The Morning Show</em>, a drama with Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon and Steve Carell; as well as projects from Alfonso Cuarón and Steven Spielberg.</p></li>
<li><p><a href="https://filmschoolrejects.com/amazon-upcoming-tv-shows/">Amazon Prime Video has recruited talents</a> such as David Fincher, Jordan Peele, Robert Kirkman, Nicole Kidman, Javier Bardem, and the Russo brothers.</p></li>
<li><p>HBO Max secured the services of Ridley Scott for the <a href="https://www.denofgeek.com/us/tv/raised-by-wolves/276827/ridley-scott-hbo-max-raised-by-wolves"><em>Raised by Wolves</em> series</a>, as well as the prolific J.J. Abrams, who <a href="https://www.denofgeek.com/us/tv/raised-by-wolves/276827/ridley-scott-hbo-max-raised-by-wolves">turned down a higher offer from Apple</a>.</p></li>
<li><p>NBCU’s Peacock platform will be working on shows with Jada Pinkett Smith, Demi Moore, Sam Esmail, Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyer, among others.</p></li>
<li><p>Disney develops series and film projects with Ewan McGregor (<em>Star Wars Obi-Wan</em>), Jeremy Renner (<em>Hawkeye</em>), Tom Hiddleson (<em>Loki</em>), Jeff Goldblum (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rV2UYw1ixRA"><em>The World According to Jeff Goldblum</em></a>), Justin Theroux (<em>The Beauty and the Tramp</em>), Willem Dafoe (<em>Togo</em>), John Stamos (<em>Big Shot</em>), Elizabeth Olsen (<em>WandaVision</em>)…</p></li>
<li><p>Netflix is not left out with prestigious collaborations such as <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHXxVmeGQUc">Martin Scorsese</a>, Guillermo Del Toro, Eddie Murphy, Vin Diesel, Liam Neeson, and the Coen brothers.</p></li>
</ul>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WHXxVmeGQUc?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Official trailer of <em>The Irishman</em>, a Martin Scorsese movie produced by Netflix for $160 million.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>A price war</h2>
<p>The Disney+ subscription is competitive at $7 a month. Only Apple TV+ is cheaper at $5, and Apple offers a <a href="https://www.apple.com/promo/pdf/EN_US_ATV+_Promo_TandCs.pdf">year of free access</a> to customers who purchase a branded device, but the catalog is much more limited. <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2019/8/6/20757626/disney-plus-espn-hulu-bundle-price-date-streaming-service">Disney+ is also available with Hulu and ESPN+ for $13</a>, the same cost as one of Netflix’s most popular packages without some of the options included in Disney’s offer.</p>
<p>Hulu alone is at $6 per month for its ad-supported plan or $12 for the ad-free one. Amazon Prime Video costs $13 but remains included in Amazon’s Prime service. HBO Max will be the <a href="https://eu.usatoday.com/story/tech/2019/10/30/hbo-max-priciest-streamer-netflix-disney-apple/2504593001/">most expensive</a> at $15 per month and does not expect profitability until 2025. AT&T will give 10 million of its wireless customers <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2019/10/30/20939918/hbo-max-price-free-att-cable-comcast-streaming-amazon-apple">free access to HBO Max for a year</a>. Peacock could have the advantage of <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/11/01/nbc-peacock-may-be-free-for-all-users.html">being free</a> and solely ad-supported, making it the largest AVOD (Advertising Video on Demand) service. This business model <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/01/14/nbc-to-launch-free-streaming-service-in-2020.html">could yield $5 per user</a>.</p>
<h2>All against Netflix</h2>
<p>While Netflix has <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/250934/quarterly-number-of-netflix-streaming-subscribers-worldwide/">158 million subscribers worldwide</a> and accounts for <a href="https://variety.com/2019/tv/news/reed-hastings-on-the-streamer-wars-its-a-whole-new-world-starting-in-november-1203343068/">5% of all television time</a>, the firm isn’t yet a threat to large networks. Nevertheless, they all seem <a href="https://www.fool.com/investing/2019/09/24/streaming-wars-literally-everybody-is-striking-bac.aspx">determined to end its success story</a>. In corporate communications, Netflix has asserted that its main competitors in the attention economy are <a href="https://theconversation.com/fortnite-un-phenomene-economique-social-sportif-et-culturel-124543">Fortnite and YouTube</a>, and the firm <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/10/16/netflix-to-competition-welcome-your-success-will-be-our-success.html">welcomed Apple and Disney</a> in the latest quarterly mail destined for its shareholders, stating that the success of these new platforms would contribute to theirs.</p>
<p>Indeed, these players should contribute to accelerating the transition from linear TV consumption to 100% on-demand TV, of which Netflix would be the main provider. However, as <a href="https://variety.com/2019/tv/news/reed-hastings-on-the-streamer-wars-its-a-whole-new-world-starting-in-november-1203343068/">Reed Hastings explains</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“While we’ve been competing with many people in the last decade, it’s a whole new world starting in November… between Apple launching and Disney launching, and of course Amazon’s ramping up.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>After the early <a href="https://www.vox.com/2018/12/21/18139817/netflix-most-popular-shows-friends-office-greys-anatomy-parks-recreation-streaming-tv">cancellation of all Marvel-related series on Netflix</a>, including the popular <em>Daredevil</em>, Disney no longer sells advertising for Netflix on its channels. Other series will depart from Netflix like <em>The Office</em> or <em>Friends</em>, which represent respectively <a href="https://www.vox.com/2018/12/21/18139817/netflix-most-popular-shows-friends-office-greys-anatomy-parks-recreation-streaming-tv">7% and 4% of total views</a>. Both series went to competitors: NBC acquired the rights of <em>The Office</em> for <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/06/27/nbc-will-stream-the-office-heres-why-it-will-pay-500-million-to.html">$500 million</a> while Warner paid <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/friends-to-move-to-hbo-max-warnermedias-new-streaming-service-11562691481">$425 million</a> for <em>Friends.</em></p>
<p>If Netflix is still considered the best platform, its difficulties began before the Disney launch. Netflix is heavily indebted and will lose an estimated <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/stephaniedenning/2019/05/26/why-debt-isnt-killing-netflix/">$3.5 billion in 2019</a>. It has also <a href="https://www.businessinsider.fr/us/netflix-subscriber-loss-in-the-us-q2-earnings-report-2019-7">lost US subscribers for the first time since 2011</a>, with a drop of 126,000 in the second quarter of 2019. Globally over the same period, the number of subscribers only increased by 2.7 million, half of what was anticipated. Given the disappointing financial results, the value of the Netflix share has <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/greatspeculations/2019/10/14/even-reed-hastings-admits-netflix-is-in-trouble/">fallen by 30%</a> for the last three months. While the <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/11/06/netflix-ceo-reed-hastings-subscriber-numbers-are-not-that-important.html">firm has reassured investors</a>, the skies are anything but clear.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PzY7AHhDITM?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Has Netflix lost its shine?</span></figcaption>
</figure><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/126944/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Oihab Allal-Chérif ne travaille pas, ne conseille pas, ne possède pas de parts, ne reçoit pas de fonds d'une organisation qui pourrait tirer profit de cet article, et n'a déclaré aucune autre affiliation que son organisme de recherche.</span></em></p>Netflix’s competitors are multiplying, and they’re ambitious. After Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, and a dozen others, Disney+ has lauched, and Netflix is clearly in the crossehairs.Oihab Allal-Chérif, Full Professor, Information Systems, Purchasing and Supply Chain Management, Neoma Business SchoolLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1253602019-11-08T12:14:20Z2019-11-08T12:14:20ZApple, Disney and Netflix’s streaming battle isn’t winner-take-all<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/300712/original/file-20191107-10915-18agxtl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Apple TV Plus has focused on recruiting big names for its shows.
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">AP Photo/Tony Avelar</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>With the <a href="https://www.techradar.com/news/apple-tv-plus-cost-review-and-everything-you-need-to-know">recent launch of Apple TV Plus</a> and the imminent arrival of Disney Plus, the video landscape has never looked so competitive. </p>
<p>These services join a crowded marketplace of subscription streaming services that includes Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime Video – with <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2019/7/25/20727317/nbc-universal-streaming-service-launch-date-2020-comcast">more to come</a> next year. For viewers, the proliferation of services means more choice in shows and services. For the companies, it means increased competition for talent and escalating budgets. </p>
<p>Although <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/afm-streaming-wars-loom-large-as-market-gets-underway-1252706">many</a> <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/18/media/streaming-wars-scorecard/index.html">publications</a> <a href="https://www.theverge.com/streaming-wars">have</a> <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/disney-rollout-shows-streaming-wars-are-over-viewers-lost-ncna1067276">described</a> the situation as “<a href="https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/story/2019-10-10/streaming-wars-winners-and-losers-disney-plus-netflix-hbo-max-peacock-quibi-apple-tv">streaming wars</a>,” these companies have different goals for each of their video services.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.amandalotz.com">We have</a> <a href="http://opensquare.nyupress.org/books/9781479804948/">been studying</a> the recent <a href="https://global-internet-tv.com/">boom</a> in subscription video streaming to understand the implications for audiences and industry. Contrary to all this reporting, we find little evidence of a “streaming war.” </p>
<p>In fact, many of these services are playing different games.</p>
<h2>Diverse strategies</h2>
<p>The major streaming services – both old and new – all have different catalogs, pricing and strategies. While all services seek viewers’ time and attention, in other respects they are different beasts.</p>
<p>Take <a href="https://www.cnet.com/news/disney-plus-streaming-service-launch-release-dates-prices-preorders-shows-movies-deals/">Disney Plus</a>. Disney’s strong suit is kids, family and its popular Marvel and “Star Wars” content. It has also invested in a few original series such as “The Mandalorian,” a “Star Wars” spin-off. </p>
<p>But unlike Netflix, Disney Plus doesn’t offer a full-service entertainment package. With its lowball pricing of US$7 per month compared with $13 for Netflix’s most popular plan, Disney Plus is pitched as a service to have alongside Netflix, rather than a direct replacement.</p>
<p>Similarly, <a href="https://www.cnet.com/news/apple-tv-plus-launch-date-price-shows-movies-films-to-expect/">Apple TV Plus</a> – which debuted on Nov. 1 for $4.99 a month – has a tiny catalog of high-profile shows and stars, such as Oprah and Jennifer Aniston. Compared with Netflix’s library of <a href="http://unogs.com/countrydetail/">5,000 titles</a>, Apple TV Plus is a minnow. Its purpose is to add value and glamour to Apple device purchases not to replace another service.</p>
<p>In other words, neither Disney Plus nor Apple TV Plus is likely to be a “<a href="https://www.thestreet.com/investing/stocks/can-apple-tv-plus-be-a-netflix-killer-14908038">Netflix killer</a>” anytime soon. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/300759/original/file-20191107-10924-1j82kmv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/300759/original/file-20191107-10924-1j82kmv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/300759/original/file-20191107-10924-1j82kmv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/300759/original/file-20191107-10924-1j82kmv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/300759/original/file-20191107-10924-1j82kmv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/300759/original/file-20191107-10924-1j82kmv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/300759/original/file-20191107-10924-1j82kmv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The growing number of streaming services can co-exist.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Manuel Esteban/Shutterstock.com</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Netflix is global</h2>
<p>Another key difference between Netflix and services such as Disney Plus, Hulu and Apple TV Plus is the amount of global content in the former’s library. </p>
<p>Today, <a href="https://variety.com/2019/digital/news/netflix-subscriber-peak-us-pwc-report-1203234190/">six out of every seven</a> new Netflix subscribers live outside the U.S. The <a href="https://www.salon.com/2017/04/11/the-unique-strategy-netflix-deployed-to-reach-90-million-worldwide-subscribers_partner/">global market</a> is essential for Netflix’s future growth. </p>
<p>To support this endeavor, it is spending considerably on producing shows outside the U.S., and this original content is available to subscribers worldwide. Of course not every viewer is interested in series produced elsewhere, but Netflix is making the bet that sci-fi fans will turn up for a good adventure whether it is produced in the U.S. or Brazil.</p>
<p>In contrast, Disney and Apple are following a more traditional U.S. export model of media globalization. </p>
<h2>Room for other players?</h2>
<p>Many questions remain about the future of <a href="https://www.digitaltrends.com/movies/how-does-hulu-work/">Hulu</a> now that its owners – Disney and Comcast – are launching other services.</p>
<p>Hulu provides a distinct service as a source of current series produced for Disney and NBC. Viewers that are cutting cable and satellite service – a trend that has <a href="https://www.cordcuttersnews.com/cord-cuttings-growth-has-more-than-tripled-in-2019/">increased</a> in the last year – may find Hulu a good replacement.</p>
<p>And more change is coming. Comcast announced a service called Peacock for next year. Peacock will draw heavily from the library of shows Comcast owns as the corporate parent of NBC and Universal. It will be free to Comcast subscribers and <a href="https://www.engadget.com/2019/11/01/nbc-peacock-free-report/?guccounter=1">possibly to everyone</a>.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, AT&T will launch <a href="https://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/what-is-hbo-max/">HBO Max</a> – the new direct-to-consumer portal for HBO content, some original series and titles from the Warner Bros. library such as “Friends.”</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/300758/original/file-20191107-10915-ptqa4f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/300758/original/file-20191107-10915-ptqa4f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/300758/original/file-20191107-10915-ptqa4f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/300758/original/file-20191107-10915-ptqa4f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/300758/original/file-20191107-10915-ptqa4f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/300758/original/file-20191107-10915-ptqa4f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/300758/original/file-20191107-10915-ptqa4f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Disney can use data collected from its streaming service for other purposes, such as driving people to the theaters to watch ‘Frozen 2.’</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Photo by Arthur Mola/Invision/AP</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>What winning means</h2>
<p>In other words, the question of who will “win” the streaming war is more complicated than it appears. </p>
<p>Rather than one service to rule them all, there may be many winners because most are playing different games. Netflix is the only “pure” subscription video-on-demand service – meaning its only business is streaming video. It wins when viewers subscribe or keep subscribing. Apple and Amazon are playing another game entirely. Apple wins if you buy a new iPhone, and Amazon wins if you start buying more from its online retail service. Similarly, Comcast and AT&T are likely angling to increase internet subscribers.</p>
<p>Disney also wants viewers to pay to subscribe, but it has other ambitions too. Launching its own streaming service allows Disney to collect valuable data about who is watching and what they like. This kind of data is useful for driving viewers to theaters as Elsa and Anna return in “Frozen 2” and enticing families to buy lots of stuffed toys and maybe even visit its theme parks. </p>
<p>In other words, this is not a single war so much as a collection of different media and technology businesses that are using video streaming to accomplish different goals. </p>
<p>[ <em>Get the best of The Conversation, every weekend.</em> <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/newsletters/weekly-highlights-61?utm_source=TCUS&utm_medium=inline-link&utm_campaign=newsletter-text&utm_content=weeklybest">Sign up for our weekly newsletter</a>. ]</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/125360/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Amanda Lotz receives funding from the Australian Research Council Discovery programme (DP190100978).</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ramon Lobato receives funding from the Australian Research Council Discovery programme (DP190100978).</span></em></p>Although some have dubbed the flurry of new video services coming out as a ‘streaming war,’ the reality is very different.Amanda Lotz, Professor of Media Studies, Queensland University of TechnologyRamon Lobato, Senior research fellow, RMIT UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1238282019-10-14T12:32:00Z2019-10-14T12:32:00ZNetflix is losing shows to rivals – will the music streaming market also splinter?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/296874/original/file-20191014-135505-1ncgzeo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/aachen-germany-september-10-2019-video-1501425782?src=cFOKA76ZlRv3NfHO1wXAvA-1-2">Alexander Kirch/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Netflix is <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/friends-officially-leaving-netflix-warnermedias-streaming-service-1223151">losing Friends</a>. From 2020, viewers in the US will have to subscribe to the new WarnerMedia streaming service HBO Max to watch the 90s sitcom that until now has been one of the most popular shows on Netflix (the UK and other regions won’t be affected).</p>
<p>It is part of <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2019/jun/27/streaming-tv-is-about-to-get-very-expensive-heres-why">a splintering</a> of the streaming market that will see studios such as Disney as well as technology firms such as Apple launch their own Netflix rivals, dividing up popular content between them. Instead of being able to watch most of your favourite TV shows and films on one or two services, you may have to subscribe to several, or else miss out on content. </p>
<p>Is something similar now likely to happen in other media categories such as music? Our research suggests that proponents and early adopters of streaming services need not panic. In <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0008125618818841">a paper</a> we coauthored with Morgane Evenou (now a manager at Netflix), we found that the streaming business has a “winner-takes-all” dynamic that should eventually produce a small number of players dominating each media category. This means that in the long term, and for most consumers, a few dominant services should provide convenient and reliable access to most content.</p>
<p>However, the long-term situation we envisage has not yet arrived, as we are starkly reminded by the current upheaval in the video streaming market. Netflix is not only losing Friends <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2019/7/17/20694711/netflix-friends-the-office-earnings-q2-2019-subscribers-disney-hbo-apple-amazon-stock-drop">but subscribers</a> – 130,000 of them in the last quarter in the US, where market fragmentation is at its strongest.</p>
<h2>The music model</h2>
<p>Convenient and reliable streaming isn’t yet the standard way to access most media content, except for music, as most popular artists are available on most commercial services. This exception reflects the fact that different media industries are in different stages of their digital lifecycle. The music industry was among the first to experience <a href="https://money.cnn.com/2010/02/02/news/companies/napster_music_industry/">substantial upheaval</a> in the 2000s due to online piracy. This challenge spurred innovative commercial responses that evolved to become the currently dominant <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/apr/24/weve-got-more-money-swirling-around-how-streaming-saved-the-music-industry">streaming model</a>, through services such as Spotify and YouTube. Listeners have benefited, enjoying access to large catalogues, few geographical restrictions and the ability to listen to music offline.</p>
<p>But it took many years for digital music services to offer this combination of features, and to identify <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Christopher_Cayari/publication/234579002_The_YouTube_Effect_How_YouTube_Has_Provided_New_Ways_to_Consume_Create_and_Share_Music/links/5a33e2c345851532e82c933b/The-YouTube-Effect-How-YouTube-Has-Provided-New-Ways-to-Consume-Create-and-Share-Music.pdf">ways to create value</a> for subscribers such as personalised music recommendations and community features such as playlists. </p>
<p>Film and TV, meanwhile is in an earlier phase of this digital lifecycle. Books are increasingly distributed digitally but subscription services such as Kindle Unlimited or Scribd still represent a small share of the market. And video game streaming is still <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/games/2019/jul/26/video-game-streaming-is-it-worth-it">in its infancy</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/296870/original/file-20191014-135501-1u7w8sr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/296870/original/file-20191014-135501-1u7w8sr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/296870/original/file-20191014-135501-1u7w8sr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/296870/original/file-20191014-135501-1u7w8sr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/296870/original/file-20191014-135501-1u7w8sr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/296870/original/file-20191014-135501-1u7w8sr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/296870/original/file-20191014-135501-1u7w8sr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Video streaming firms are making their own content.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/madrid-spain-august-13-2018-samsung-1154935315?src=RV1Q0nOGXiZVnemT7mHDcg-1-83">Manuel Esteban/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>There are also important differences between these media industries. In the case of film, distributors such as Netflix, Amazon and HBO are <a href="https://variety.com/2019/digital/news/netflix-content-spending-2019-15-billion-1203112090/">investing heavily</a> in producing their own content, such as House of Cards, The Vikings and Game of Thrones, in order to grow and retain their subscribers. This makes it harder for consumers to access everything without multiple subscriptions.</p>
<p>In contrast, production and distribution are mostly separated in the music industry. Record labels continue to focus on production while other players such as Spotify and Apple focus on distribution. This separation allows each distributor to offer a deep catalogue of content, which has enabled music streaming services to become a practical alternative to piracy for the average music lover. If record companies were to break this model by requiring consumers to pay for several music service subscriptions to access their favourite artists, it would risk pushing them back to illegal sites.</p>
<p>Instead, music distributors compete mainly on how this catalogue is presented, navigated and consumed. And this is where a large user base is beneficial to the distributor, generating information that improves content navigation and recommendations, as well as valuable social interactions on the service and through integration with social networks such as Facebook. It also increases the distributors’ bargaining power when it comes to securing the content from the record companies.</p>
<p>This gives an advantage to companies with more users, encouraging a <a href="https://www.london.edu/lbsr/nine-reasons-why-tech-markets-are-winner-take-all">winner-takes-all</a> dynamic in which a small number of firms become dominant. In fact, the advantages of a large user base together with a large content catalogue are so strong that we don’t expect the launch of new streaming services by film and TV studios to keep the market fragmented forever. So while Netflix faces significant short-term challenges, it (or one of its rivals) may still eventually emerge as the dominant player.</p>
<h2>Other media</h2>
<p>How this separation between production and distribution will play out for books and video games in the long term is yet uncertain. But if consumers require several services to access their desired content, physical copies will remain attractive. And in these media categories, the physical still retains the upper hand.</p>
<p>While <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2019/06/18/tech/e3-video-games-cloud-gaming/index.html">some are enthusiastic</a> about video game streaming services, these have yet to prove they can match the gameplay experiences traditional consoles are capable of. If the stream is slow to register a player’s commands or the video quality suffers or cuts out even for a split second, it could make many fast-paced games <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/games/2019/jul/26/video-game-streaming-is-it-worth-it">less enjoyable or even unplayable</a>.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, physical books still provide an experience many readers appreciate, which may explain why <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/jan/03/leading-the-entertainment-pack-uk-print-book-sales-rise-again">sales have rebounded</a> over the last few years. Physical collections also help consumers build more of a <a href="https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/07378830911007673/full/html">personal relationship</a> with their media, in contrast to the impersonal abundance of choice promoted by digital services. They also have resale value that, in some cases, can be substantial.</p>
<p>So in the long term, we expect the distribution and consumption of media to migrate to a small handful of streaming services, as they already have for music. But in the meantime, catalogues could remain fragmented over several providers. We will have to wait and see if new streaming services are worth it. But if you can’t be bothered with multiple subscriptions or adapting to their current limitations, a shelf of carefully selected Blu-Rays, books and video games remains a safe bet.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/123828/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Movie studios are launching their own streaming apps but record labels aren’t about to do the same.Andres Hervas-Drane, Senior Lecturer in Management, Cass Business School, City, University of LondonPaolo Aversa, Senior Lecturer in Strategy, Cass Business School, City, University of LondonLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1167732019-05-09T18:25:39Z2019-05-09T18:25:39ZTV streaming titans are locked into a real-life Game of Thrones – here’s a way around this fight to the death<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/273573/original/file-20190509-183112-1tzj83.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Let battle commence. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.shutterstock.com/index-in.mhtml">Vitalii Petrushenko</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>American retail giant Walmart is <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2019/5/5/18530069/vudu-walmart-initial-slate-original-content-streaming-shows-free-ads">becoming</a> the latest challenger to clamber into the ring and take on the reigning TV/movie streaming heavyweights with original material.</p>
<p>At a press conference in New York, Walmart announced a slate of new commissions for its streaming contender, Vudu. Added to the 100,000-plus TV shows and movies already available on the service, viewers can expect the likes of Friends in Strange Places, a travel/comedy series overseen by Queen Latifah; interview documentary strand Turning Point with Randy Jackson; and a series-length reboot of 1983 Michael Keaton comedy Mr Mom. </p>
<p>The new offering is aimed primarily at Middle America, which Walmart feels has been undersold by streaming incumbents like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. Vudu’s shows will be a vehicle for new interactive advertising going live over the summer which will allow consumers to buy what they see without leaving their sofa. Thanks to its monster customer database, a senior Vudu manager <a href="https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/335313/walmarts-vudu-positions-itself-as-sleeping-giant.html">recently described</a> Walmart as the “sleeping giant of the digital entertainment space”. </p>
<p>If so, it’s about to wake up to a very crowded marketplace. It’s only weeks since Apple <a href="https://www.whathifi.com/advice/apple-tv-app-and-apple-tv-streaming-service-everything-you-need-to-know">announced</a> streaming service Apple TV+, which is to combine licensed shows with original programming when it launches worldwide this autumn.</p>
<p>Disney, <a href="https://mashable.com/article/disney-plus-apple-tv/?europe=true">meanwhile</a>, is following suit with Disney+ in November – <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/11/business/media/disney-plus-streaming.html">initially</a> in the US, then rolling out to other countries next year.</p>
<p>Other existing streamers include <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2018/11/09/disney-to-invest-in-more-original-content-for-hulu-expand-service-internationally/">Hulu</a> and <a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2019/01/hbo-plan-to-win-the-streaming-wars">HBO Now</a>, while <a href="https://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/discovery-to-launch-streaming-service-with-bbc-content">Discovery</a> and <a href="http://www.nbcuniversal.com/press-release/nbcuniversal-announces-direct-consumer-streaming-service-and-new-leadership-structure">NBCUniversal</a> are both launching rivals next year as well (click on the table below to make the full details bigger). Between them, these companies are spending many billions of dollars on content. It doesn’t take a seer to predict that a good few will likely fail. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/273844/original/file-20190510-183086-vvjdg9.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/273844/original/file-20190510-183086-vvjdg9.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/273844/original/file-20190510-183086-vvjdg9.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=257&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/273844/original/file-20190510-183086-vvjdg9.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=257&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/273844/original/file-20190510-183086-vvjdg9.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=257&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/273844/original/file-20190510-183086-vvjdg9.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=322&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/273844/original/file-20190510-183086-vvjdg9.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=322&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/273844/original/file-20190510-183086-vvjdg9.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=322&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">*US subscriptions only.</span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Sizing them up</h2>
<p>Among these newer announcements, Apple and Disney look the stronger contenders. Apple has the ready-made platform of a billion devices to promote and deliver its service, while Disney has the richest content portfolio across multiple categories – from video games to live sports to superheroes. </p>
<p>Vudu may have the heft of Walmart behind it, but the content investment is likely to be a fraction of the other two: Apple has said it will spend US$2 billion (£1.5 billion) a year at first, while Disney is spending only $500m on originals, including the likes of three Avengers spin-offs, but the group’s total annual content spend <a href="http://fortune.com/2018/12/10/netflix-spending-hollywood-disney-comcast-budget/">is nearly</a> 50 times bigger. Walmart has not said what Vudu is spending. On the other hand, Vudu’s offering will be mostly free while Disney+ and Apple TV+ will both charge monthly subscriptions. </p>
<p>At any rate, all three are likely to struggle – and the same goes for the other new arrivals. We are heading for a serious case of “subscription fatigue”. When consumers watch free-to-air television, broadcasters take care of the messy process of making deals with content owners, aggregating it and serving it up. As pay-TV operators like Sky or the cable networks started to emerge, consumers had to sometimes choose a package to get a particular channel or programme. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/273576/original/file-20190509-183096-iq51a0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/273576/original/file-20190509-183096-iq51a0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/273576/original/file-20190509-183096-iq51a0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/273576/original/file-20190509-183096-iq51a0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/273576/original/file-20190509-183096-iq51a0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/273576/original/file-20190509-183096-iq51a0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/273576/original/file-20190509-183096-iq51a0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/273576/original/file-20190509-183096-iq51a0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">They have been warned.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.shutterstock.com/index-in.mhtml">diy13</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>But with streaming in future, this experience is going to become more and more frustrating – Where can I find Westworld? Where is Blue Planet these days? – not to mention expensive for anyone tempted by multiple offerings. By building competing services, all these media giants are playing their own Game of Thrones.</p>
<h2>The fix</h2>
<p>The way forward is clear, but controversial. Apple, Disney, AT&T, NBCUniversal and the other large players should collaborate to create a dominant content platform. Partnering among subscription services would take some of the burden off consumers and make the combined offering more appealing than existing options. Imagine subscribing to a single service to receive access to everything from classic TV and movies to the latest shows. The market can probably handle two or three mega platforms, but not more.</p>
<p>Ironically, Disney already has a ready-made option in its arsenal. Hulu was set up as a joint venture between Disney, NBCUniversal, Fox and WarnerMedia (now owned by AT&T). Yet Hulu’s claim to be a cross-industry platform is getting weaker, not stronger: Fox’s 30% share <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-disney-fox-merger-affects-consumers-hulu-marvel-streaming-2019-3?r=US&IR=T">defaulted</a> to Disney when it was taken over, and AT&T <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2019/4/15/18312068/disney-hulu-att-sells-stake-comcast-control-streaming">has announced</a> it wants to sell its 10% holding. Hulu may have recently diversified with its recent <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2019/03/12/hulu-and-spotify-launch-an-even-more-steeply-discounted-bundle-of-9-99-per-month/">partnership announcement</a> with music streamer Spotify, but Disney’s new dominance of the service will probably make it a less attractive option for other media companies to buy into than previously.</p>
<p>If media companies collaborated with their streaming services, it would certainly come with antitrust concerns. But unless they evolve into an industry platform soon, the door will open for other players to take the lead – I’m thinking digital giants like Google or Facebook, internet service providers or telecommunications companies.</p>
<p>Many of these players already have a subscription relationship with consumers, so it would be relatively easy for them to bundle video streaming into existing services. Amazon’s shift into the media world is a textbook example of how this could play out. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/273578/original/file-20190509-183089-1m577og.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/273578/original/file-20190509-183089-1m577og.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/273578/original/file-20190509-183089-1m577og.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/273578/original/file-20190509-183089-1m577og.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/273578/original/file-20190509-183089-1m577og.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/273578/original/file-20190509-183089-1m577og.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=425&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/273578/original/file-20190509-183089-1m577og.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=425&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/273578/original/file-20190509-183089-1m577og.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=425&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">One service to rule them all.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.shutterstock.com/index-in.mhtml">Metamorworks</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>It is reminiscent of the early 2000s, in which the record majors built walled gardens around their content only to watch in horror as Apple’s iTunes stole the market from under them with a convenient, cheap and comprehensive option. Spotify then stole it again a few years later. Media companies should also beware the prospect of consumers being driven in larger numbers to illegal or quasi-legal video consolidation services. </p>
<p>There are recent precedents that they could follow of competitive partnering in other industries: BMW and Daimler <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2019/2/22/18235941/daimler-bmw-mobility-joint-venture-billion-dollars">recently announced</a> they would join forces to build common platforms for ride sharing and electric vehicle charging, among other things, having realised they are stronger together than apart. </p>
<p>The media giants would be well advised to start exploring similar possibilities.
Consumers <a href="https://variety.com/2019/digital/news/streaming-subscription-fatigue-us-consumers-deloitte-study-1203166046/">are already</a> baulking at both the cost of multiple subscription services and the inconvenience of having to keep track of which shows are on which services. The ultimate winner will be the first option that can provide scale and convenience at a reasonable cost. If today’s streaming companies aren’t careful, they will end up on the outside looking in.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/116773/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Michael Wade does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Vudu, Apple TV+, Disney +, NBC Universal: there’s going to be a lot of blood on the carpet.Michael Wade, Professor of Innovation and Strategy, Cisco Chair in Digital Business Transformation, International Institute for Management Development (IMD)Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/805702017-07-27T08:31:28Z2017-07-27T08:31:28ZAmazon, Netflix and righting the wrongs of television’s gender problem<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/179780/original/file-20170726-3011-5lcp16.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Glow from Netfix.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://media.netflix.com/en/only-on-netflix/68621">Netflix</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Netflix will spend <a href="https://www.rapidtvnews.com/2017060247462/netflix-to-spend-6bn-on-original-content-in-2017.html#axzz4npLXMcRA">$6 billion</a> on original content in 2017. Between them, Amazon, Hulu and Netflix have scored 125 <a href="http://variety.com/2017/tv/awards/emmys-nominations-2017-netflix-hulu-amazon-1202494881/">Emmy nominations this year</a>. The message is clear: Subscription Video on Demand (SVoD) is no longer the new kid on the block. And it is this blooming platform which is starting to turn the traditionally male-dominated world of television production on its head.</p>
<p>Every year, <a href="http://www.wga.org/the-guild/advocacy/diversity/hollywood-writers-report">reports</a> on industry employment reveal how women are underrepresented on the writers’ credits in television. In the US and the UK, women’s share of television employment has remained at under 30%. <a href="http://variety.com/2016/tv/features/diversity-television-white-male-showrunners-stats-fox-nbc-abc-cbs-cw-study-1201789639/">Women showrunners</a> (creators, executive producers and writers) account for only 22% of showrunners in the US. Women of colour make up just 4%. Once the bothersome newcomer in the entertainment market, subscription streaming services are shaking up the system and showing their more traditional rivals how innovation can lead to market dominance.</p>
<p>Two key points separate the production of subscription video on demand original content from the more traditional “linear” television model, where content is programmed to broadcast at one specific time. </p>
<p>First, producers such as Amazon, Netflix and Hulu have flexibility in the programming they commission. For example, without being restricted by commercial breaks and channel scheduling, episodes can run shorter or longer than a conventional drama (usually 45-50 minutes) or comedy (22-28 minutes). Being less accountable to programme sponsors, online original series can also tackle more <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-psychologists-have-got-it-wrong-on-13-reasons-why-79806">controversial subject matter</a>. But most importantly, they can commission content from a more diverse range of people with different voices.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/179781/original/file-20170726-11301-1vc0ktp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/179781/original/file-20170726-11301-1vc0ktp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/179781/original/file-20170726-11301-1vc0ktp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/179781/original/file-20170726-11301-1vc0ktp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/179781/original/file-20170726-11301-1vc0ktp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/179781/original/file-20170726-11301-1vc0ktp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/179781/original/file-20170726-11301-1vc0ktp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Orange is the New Black, season five.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://media.netflix.com/en/only-on-netflix/4892">Netlfix</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The second key difference between subscription video on demand and linear programming is their commissioning processes. Amazon completely shook up the convention of the “pilot season” (where initial episodes of new content are made then dropped or pushed forward depending on their anticipated success) with its own version of the “pilot” process. </p>
<p>In <a href="http://www.cinemablend.com/television/Amazon-Studios-Invites-TV-Writers-Submit-Comedy-Children-Series-Ideas-42088.html">Amazon’s version</a>, anyone could submit an idea for original content through an online portal. In this break from the “who you know” system of commissioning, Amazon made the pilots viewable by its Prime customers, who can then vote for the content they want to see produced into a full series. </p>
<p>This democratisation of viewing is also influenced by the feature that is at the very core of on-demand viewing – we watch what we want, when we want, for however long we want. We watch on our laptops, on our tablets, on our smart phones and on our home smart televisions. Importantly, all of this has helped increase <a href="https://theconversation.com/orange-is-the-new-black-is-fast-becoming-a-feminist-classic-40353">programming about women</a>, created by women. </p>
<h2>A man’s world</h2>
<p>Television production has traditionally been a man’s world. <a href="http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0163443714544868?journalCode=mcsa">Evidence</a> for the media industries shows that people in positions of power over hiring will employ those they feel are most similar to their existing teams. So, for a team of white men, another white man will typically be seen as a “safer” hire than a woman or a person of colour. When the odds are loaded against women like this, it becomes <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/jul/25/women-in-tv-arent-trusted-as-writers-claims-happy-valley-creator">harder</a> for a woman to get her foot in the door. </p>
<p>In addition to these “<a href="http://www.benschneiderphd.com/People_Make_the_Place_PP_1987.pdf">homogenous</a>” hiring practices, the employment of women in creative and cultural industries declines sharply after the age of 35. These industries have not been conducive to motherhood, maternity leave or care-giving. Far more so than men in television, women in television <a href="https://www.mamsie.bbk.ac.uk/articles/10.16995/sim.26/galley/23/download/">report</a> that they were made to feel they could either have successful careers, or be mothers, with no middle ground. </p>
<p>By its very nature, television runs on short-term contracts, long and unsociable hours and <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1467-954X.12240/abstract">informal recruitment</a> practices. For those lacking a family network of childminders or the financial stability to hire flexible child carers, it is near impossible to <a href="https://creativeskillset.org/assets/0000/6250/Balancing_Children_and_Work_in_the_Audio_Visual_Industries_2008.pdf">have it all</a>.</p>
<p>This is where original online content can shine. These series are, for the most part, being made by production companies – but the commissioners can now order content that speaks to women. Previously, an unproduced writer needed the right contacts to have a series picked up. Now she can now pitch directly to Amazon Studios. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/179782/original/file-20170726-30108-4c0dat.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/179782/original/file-20170726-30108-4c0dat.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/179782/original/file-20170726-30108-4c0dat.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/179782/original/file-20170726-30108-4c0dat.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/179782/original/file-20170726-30108-4c0dat.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/179782/original/file-20170726-30108-4c0dat.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/179782/original/file-20170726-30108-4c0dat.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Sense8.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://media.netflix.com/en/only-on-netflix/4907">Netflix</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Original content distributors are responding. A <a href="https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2017/04/the-25-best-netflix-original-series.html">Paste Magazine</a> piece lists the “top Netflix Original” series, and stories focusing on women are beginning to climb the ranks. <a href="https://www.netflix.com/gb/title/80017537">Grace and Frankie</a> (2015) studies the lives of two older women whose husbands have left them to begin a relationship with one another.</p>
<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/sense8-and-sensibility-how-a-tv-series-is-transcending-geographical-and-gender-borders-77377">Sense8</a> (2015) features women in leading roles including LGBTQ women and women of colour. <a href="https://www.netflix.com/gb/title/80114988">Glow</a> (2017) follows a team of female wrestlers in the 1980s, while <a href="https://www.netflix.com/gb/title/80025384">Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt</a> (2015) is a comedy exploring a woman getting back on her feet after being imprisoned in a bunker for 15 years. </p>
<p>These series create a discussion about what is hidden on most mainstream television. They are about women – but not about “traditional” romantic entanglements, shoe shopping and mean teenagers.</p>
<p>So the question now is, will we see a knock-on effect in the employment of women writers for scripted series? Or will the industry reproduce its gendered norms and continue the pattern of white, male, middle-class dominance? Time will tell. But for now, original on-demand content has steered the industry to a turning point, bringing women’s voices to our many screens.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/80570/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kirsten Stoddart does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Original content made by subscription and on demand platforms such as Netflix and Amazon is taking off – but what does that mean for women screenwriters and producers?Kirsten Stoddart, Postgraduate Researcher in Television, S.V.o.D and Gender, University of SalfordLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/798202017-07-12T00:38:36Z2017-07-12T00:38:36ZHow ‘Game of Thrones’ became TV’s first global blockbuster<p>On July 16, viewers around the world will eagerly tune into the premiere of the seventh season of “Game of Thrones.” </p>
<p>That phrase – “viewers around the world” – hasn’t applied to television premieres before. For most of its history, television has been a profoundly national medium. While shows like “Dallas,” “Baywatch” and “The Simpsons” all drew large global audiences, international television trade required delays: A television series could air in different countries, but it often happened months – even years – after it would air in its country of origin. </p>
<p>As I explore in <a href="http://www.amandalotz.com/we-now-disrupt-this-broadcast/">my book</a> “We Now Disrupt This Broadcast: How Cable Transformed Television and the Internet Revolutionized It All,” many of those practices have changed in recent years. It’s now possible for a series to release new episodes for viewers around the world, and the result is a global watercooler – a shared media culture that transcends national boundaries. </p>
<p>While you might think that Netflix or Amazon Video would have an advantage, it’s an HBO show – “Game of Thrones” – that’s at the forefront of this phenomenon.</p>
<h2>Building a global fan base</h2>
<p>Even in <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-has-tv-storytelling-become-so-complex-37442">a golden era of television production</a>, “Game of Thrones” stands out. HBO <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/hayleycuccinello/2016/04/22/game-of-thrones-season-6-costs-10-million-per-episode-has-biggest-battle-scene-ever/#62c056eb11bb">spends lavishly</a> on the series – beyond what most other networks can afford – and the result is a visually breathtaking product. </p>
<p>Its fantasy setting takes place in a world that isn’t geographically or culturally distinctive to the U.S., which also broadens audience appeal. Television shows that aren’t country-specific – miniseries such as “<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118414/">The Odyssey</a>” and “<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0115195/">Gulliver’s Travels</a>” – tend to be among the most successful in international trade. There was also a built-in global fan base from <a href="http://www.georgerrmartin.com/grrm_book/a-game-of-thrones-5-book-bundle/">the popular series of novels</a> that inspired the show. </p>
<p>“Game of Thrones,” however, didn’t start out as a global blockbuster. </p>
<p>HBO debuted the show in 2011 for its U.S. cable channel. Following standard practice, the network sold the series to channels around the world that would air the series with the typical delay. For example, Canal+ airs it in France, Sky Atlantic airs it in Italy and Foxtel airs it in Australia. There are also several HBO branded channels around the globe such as HBO Canada, HBO Central Europe, and HBO Asia. Some are owned fully or in part by HBO’s parent company; others just license the name.</p>
<p>By 2014 “Game of Thrones” had become <a href="http://www.vulture.com/2014/06/game-of-thrones-now-hbos-most-watched-show-ever.html#">the network’s biggest hit</a>. But as the show’s popularity grew, so did its rates of piracy. While unauthorized access of video is difficult to measure with certainty, many called the series <a href="http://time.com/4618954/game-of-thrones-pirated-2016/">the most pirated show in the world</a>.</p>
<h2>How HBO pulled it off</h2>
<p>We’d expect changes wrought by the internet to have played a key role. They did, but not in the way you’d expect. HBO didn’t use the internet to distribute “Game of Thrones” to subscribers around the world <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-unique-strategy-netflix-deployed-to-reach-90-million-worldwide-subscribers-74885">like Netflix and Amazon Video have done with their series</a>. Instead, the internet was important to the series’ global growth because of the opportunities it gave fans to interact with one another.</p>
<p>The intricate, surprising storylines on “Game of Thrones” inspired instant dissection and analysis on social media feeds. This encouraged fans in TV markets outside of the U.S. to seek out unauthorized video sources: It was the only way they could avoid spoilers. While <a href="http://ew.com/article/2015/04/21/game-thrones-piracy-record/">news stories</a> about the high rates of piracy highlighted the popularity of the series – a form of free promotion – HBO certainly would prefer viewers to watch through authorized channels. Eliminating the delay in access was one solution. </p>
<p>In 2015, just before the start of its fifth season, HBO <a href="http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/game-thrones-season-5-set-780377">announced that it had deals</a> in 170 markets around the world to air new episodes simultaneously with its U.S. broadcast. This was not unprecedented. “Dr. Who” did the same in 2013 with a <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/doctor-who/10470879/Doctor-Who-breaks-simulcast-world-record.html">94-country simulcast</a> in honor of its 50th anniversary – a one-time event.</p>
<p>Arguably no network other than HBO could have pulled it off.</p>
<p>Because HBO is both the producer and distributor of the series, it can adjust the timing of its international availability. Making shows (the job of studios) and presenting them to audiences (the job of channels) are two different businesses, and their interests don’t perfectly align. If a different studio produced “Game of Thrones” for HBO, the studio might be too concerned that the simulcast would diminish its ability to sell the series to other distributors. Moreover, HBO had significant international reach and relationships that provided it with a direct pipeline to viewers outside the U.S.</p>
<h2>Not the new normal – for now</h2>
<p>While HBO has shown that global TV blockbusters are now possible, they aren’t likely to become common practice. Internet-distributed services that are building a global subscriber base – such as Netflix and Amazon Video – have a clear advantage in this regard. They have customers around the world and can act as the producer and distributor of their series or negotiate for worldwide rights. It’s notable, however, that neither has succeeded in creating a true blockbuster hit. For example, Netflix’s “<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2189461/">Marco Polo</a>” had a huge budget and a premise that appealed to audiences around the world. <a href="http://deadline.com/2016/12/marco-polo-canceled-2-seasons-netflix-1201869350/">But it never caught on</a>. </p>
<p>While <a href="http://us.macmillan.com/blockbusters/anitaelberse/9781429945325/">blockbusters can be incredibly lucrative</a>, there’s no magic formula for making one. The odds of success are far greater when making series that speak specifically to the cultural experiences of people in individual countries or with particular tastes. </p>
<p>Once Netflix and Amazon Video have firmed up a strong subscriber base outside of the U.S. with local programming, look for them to also wade into the risky – but rewarding – business of global blockbusters. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/giYeaKsXnsI?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">The trailer for Season 7 of ‘Game of Thrones.’</span></figcaption>
</figure><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/79820/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Amanda Lotz does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>A unique set of circumstances allowed HBO to beat Netflix to the punch.Amanda Lotz, Fellow, Peabody Media Center; Professor of Media Studies, University of MichiganLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/681412016-11-17T18:54:42Z2016-11-17T18:54:42ZAmazon’s new Grand Tour series could be the next illegal download victim<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/146189/original/image-20161116-13547-1e2u1dv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May, and some very fast cars for The Grand Tour. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Amazon Studios</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The much awaited new car show, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Behind-scenes-Clarkson-Hammond-May/dp/B01J94A5GQ/">The Grand Tour</a>, launches on <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DBYBNEE?_encoding=UTF8">Amazon Prime</a> today, Friday November 18.</p>
<p>The show is hosted by Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond, all former presenters of the BBC’s popular <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006mj59">Top Gear</a> series. All three signed a three series deal with Amazon.</p>
<p>Each series will include 12 hour-long episodes. But unlike many video-on-demand (VoD) series which release all episodes simultaneously, The Grand Tour will have weekly episodes, more like traditional television.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kLtpcxtk4HI?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">The Grand Tour Offical Trailer.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Due to the nature of the program and the hosts’ association with Top Gear, there have been <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/10/30/jeremy-clarkson-fears-bbc-could-sue-over-new-racing-show-the-gra/">intellectual property fears</a> about its resemblance to the BBC program and its format. At its height, Top Gear was <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/mar/11/top-gear-bbc-jeremy-clarkson">reported</a> to be worth £50 million (A$83 million) a year for the BBC. </p>
<p>Clarkson <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/10/30/jeremy-clarkson-fears-bbc-could-sue-over-new-racing-show-the-gra/">said</a>: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>The lawyers pointed out that we couldn’t host the show from a static location because, although it had [originally] been our idea, the BBC owned it. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>So to alleviate this issue at least, the team will travel the world and <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/from-top-gear-to-the-grand-tour-jeremy-clarksons-new-car-show-for-amazon-20160511-got1mk.html">host each episode from a giant tent</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/146167/original/image-20161116-13534-1a58a7x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/146167/original/image-20161116-13534-1a58a7x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/146167/original/image-20161116-13534-1a58a7x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/146167/original/image-20161116-13534-1a58a7x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/146167/original/image-20161116-13534-1a58a7x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/146167/original/image-20161116-13534-1a58a7x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/146167/original/image-20161116-13534-1a58a7x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/146167/original/image-20161116-13534-1a58a7x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The Grand Tour in grand tent in California.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Amazon Studios</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The program is <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/10/30/jeremy-clarkson-fears-bbc-could-sue-over-new-racing-show-the-gra/">reported</a> to have a budget of £4.5 million (A$7.4 million) per episode, ten times the budget <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3475840/Panic-forces-Gear-budget-BBC-lavishing-extra-200-000-episode-bosses-fear-fail.html">allocated</a> when the trio were hosting Top Gear. </p>
<p>The opening title sequence for The Grand Tour itself is <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/on-demand/0/the-grand-tour-on-amazon-prime-what-will-jeremy-clarksons-new-sh/">said</a> to have cost £2.5 million (A$4.1 million) alone, set to show homage to <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1392190/">Mad Max: Fury Road</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/146168/original/image-20161116-13506-lht3ob.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/146168/original/image-20161116-13506-lht3ob.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/146168/original/image-20161116-13506-lht3ob.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/146168/original/image-20161116-13506-lht3ob.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/146168/original/image-20161116-13506-lht3ob.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/146168/original/image-20161116-13506-lht3ob.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/146168/original/image-20161116-13506-lht3ob.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/146168/original/image-20161116-13506-lht3ob.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The Grand Tour in Namibia.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Amazon Studios</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>So it’s a big show with big expectations, from both fans and Amazon Prime.</p>
<p>At the moment Amazon Prime is only available in US, UK, Germany and Japan but Amazon has <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/b?node=12022739031">just announced</a> the show will be available in more than 200 countries from December.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wRkNMvK8UEE?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">What is that accent for Holden Man 3,000?</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>So what impact could The Grand Tour – and the potential of a wider Amazon Prime launch – have on Australia’s changing media landscape and Australians’ viewing behaviours?</p>
<h2>A flagship launch program</h2>
<p>There had been some <a href="http://www.afr.com/business/media-and-marketing/tv/amazon-weighs-up-prime-time-launch-in-australia-20161007-grxi1b">speculation</a> that The Grand Tour would be the flagship program used to launch the Amazon Prime service in Australia.</p>
<p>Netflix has seen great success after its <a href="https://theconversation.com/netflix-is-everywhere-almost-so-what-does-this-mean-for-local-media-52857">global launch</a>. In Australia, Netflix is the major VoD service, far outweighing the subscription numbers of local services. </p>
<p>The success of Netflix has also seen a <a href="https://theconversation.com/buyouts-mean-the-future-of-australian-video-on-demand-is-hard-to-picture-66683">shake-up</a> of the local media landscape.</p>
<p>Quickflix’s future is unclear despite a <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/business/media-and-marketing/quickflix-snapped-up-for-13m-by-us-entrepreneur-20161004-gruqoq.html">recent takeover</a>, Presto will <a href="http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2016/10/presto-to-end-in-january.html">cease its service</a> in January 2017 and Foxtel is reshaping its packages and pricing as it attempts to re-imagine itself in this ever changing space.</p>
<p>With Amazon Prime now launching in Australia there will be two international VoD services competing with a single locally owned VoD service, Stan.</p>
<p>There is also Hulu, another VoD and streaming service, which may too set its <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/digital-life/computers/gadgets-on-the-go/hulu-cracks-down-on-foreigners--plans-for-australia-20140428-zr0qi.html">sights on Australia</a> in the near future. This is more likely to have the largest impact on Foxtel due to its <a href="http://www.recode.net/2016/11/1/13490026/hulu-disney-fox-espn-fox-sports-streaming-tv">recent deal</a> to stream several sport channels.</p>
<p>So The Grand Tour will be available to Australian consumers, but only after the launch date and on a subscription service, no free to air access.</p>
<p>Will some Australians seek alternative ways to gain access, as we saw occur with Orange is the New Black and House of Cards prior to Netflix’s local launch? Australian consumers have shown they will find a way to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2016/apr/26/game-of-thrones-season-six-australia-tops-world-in-illegal-downloads">access the content</a> as they did with Game of Thrones, available here only on Foxtel.</p>
<p>Will the <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-the-drop-in-illegal-movie-downloads-in-australia-49042">recent apparent decline</a> in copyright infringement begin to increase again, thanks to The Grand Tour? </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/146190/original/image-20161116-13506-6eg78b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/146190/original/image-20161116-13506-6eg78b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/146190/original/image-20161116-13506-6eg78b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/146190/original/image-20161116-13506-6eg78b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/146190/original/image-20161116-13506-6eg78b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/146190/original/image-20161116-13506-6eg78b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/146190/original/image-20161116-13506-6eg78b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/146190/original/image-20161116-13506-6eg78b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Fans will want to see what antics the presenters get up to on The Grand Tour.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Amazon Studios</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Australian and illegal downloads</h2>
<p>Australia has a reputation as a world leader in piracy of <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-10-10/movie-piracy-12-17yos-illegally-download-films-doubles-australia/7918808">movies</a>, <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/music/australians-worlds-worst-for-illegal-music-downloads-20120918-2643a.html">music</a> and <a href="https://mumbrella.com.au/australia-leads-way-illegal-downloads-game-thrones-219249">television programs</a>. </p>
<p>But research shows that one of the major reasons Australians seek out illicit downloads in such numbers is that it is more difficult to access very popular content legitimately in Australia. </p>
<p>Compared to consumers in the United States and the European Union, Australians <a href="https://theconversation.com/when-the-price-is-not-right-technology-price-gouging-in-australia-10582">pay more for digital goods</a>, have less choice in distribution channels, are exposed to substantial delays in access, and are sometimes denied access completely.</p>
<p>When quizzed about their downloading habits, it became clear quite quickly that <a href="https://eprints.qut.edu.au/75933/36/g8_dootson_suzor.pdf">Australian consumers often feel morally justified</a> in downloading content illicitly if it is not available through legal channels. </p>
<p>These are not the hardcore pirates who never pay for content. They are ordinary consumers who believe that paying for content is the right thing to do, but only if they are treated fairly in return.</p>
<p>It is sometimes easy for Australians to feel hard done by in digital media markets. Change has been slow in Australia, and consumers blame distributors here for not keeping up with changing demand for more convenient digital distribution channels.</p>
<p>A large part of the problem is that media markets are segmented geographically, but demand for hit television programs, movies and music is global. Massive advertising campaigns whip up demand for new releases around the world, and fans want to be part of the global conversations around new releases.</p>
<p>International media markets are a complex business. For a premium distributor looking to keep consumers locked into expensive monthly cable plans, or a new entrant trying to build a user base, it makes financial sense to lock up content with exclusive deals.</p>
<p>But when consumers are told they must wait for access, many will turn to illicit downloading rather than take what they see as a bad deal that is forced upon them.</p>
<h2>Will we need multiple subscriptions?</h2>
<p>The major changes in digital media markets over the last few years means consumers are getting better opportunities, but Australian VoD services are struggling to compete.</p>
<p>Increased competition usually means better outcomes for consumers in the long run. In the short term, though, the fragmentation we are seeing in distribution channels could lead to more exclusive releases and shrinking catalogues as subscription services try to conquer the market for viewers.</p>
<p>As more streaming services begin to compete with each other they look for ways in which to gain subscribers. Netflix has used its Netflix originals to lure subscribers and is set to <a href="http://www.news.com.au/technology/home-entertainment/tv/netflix-allocates-78-billion-for-creating-original-content-in-2017/news-story/f9ea0c06e9982729ba689694f293ac29">invest</a> US$6 billion ($A7.78 billion) in 2017 on original content.</p>
<p>But if there are a number of VoD services all producing their own exclusive original content, where does this leave the consumers? Is the future one where consumers must subscribe to multiple VoD services, or somehow try to jump between them? </p>
<p>The Digital Media Research Centre is <a href="https://digitalsocialcontract.net/australian-consumer-access-to-digital-media-content-755c4cc3c35f#.ag38i4lvt">tracking outcomes for consumers</a> in these rapidly changing industries.</p>
<p>In the meantime, consumers will continue to revolt. There is a good chance that exclusive deals <a href="https://digitalsocialcontract.net/do-exclusive-releases-drive-increases-in-copyright-infringement-f0ebc21bdf57#.r1hsj0ttb">may drive more consumers to infringe</a> copyright, and that would see The Grand Tour as their next target for illegal downloading.</p>
<p>Ultimately, until VoD services work out a way to get consumers access to the media they want, everyone will keep losing out.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/146191/original/image-20161116-13518-1hkllnm.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/146191/original/image-20161116-13518-1hkllnm.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/146191/original/image-20161116-13518-1hkllnm.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/146191/original/image-20161116-13518-1hkllnm.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/146191/original/image-20161116-13518-1hkllnm.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/146191/original/image-20161116-13518-1hkllnm.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/146191/original/image-20161116-13518-1hkllnm.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/146191/original/image-20161116-13518-1hkllnm.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May on the The Grand Tour in Johannesburg.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Amazon Studios</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/68141/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Nicolas Suzor is the recipient of an Australian Research Council DECRA Fellowship (project number DE160101542) and receives other project funding from the ARC. He also leads projects funded by industry groups, including the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN) and the Australian Digital Alliance. Nic is also the Legal Lead of the Creative Commons Australia project and the deputy chair of Digital Rights Watch, an Australian non-profit organisation whose mission is to ensure that Australian citizens are equipped, empowered and enabled to uphold their digital rights.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Marc C-Scott is a board member of C31 Melbourne (Community Television Station).
</span></em></p>The new motoring series will be used to help launch another video on demand service in Australia. But will consumers find away to access the show and avoid paying another fee?Nicolas Suzor, Associate professor, Queensland University of TechnologyMarc C-Scott, Lecturer in Screen Media, Victoria UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/674302016-10-31T02:10:52Z2016-10-31T02:10:52ZAre we streaming into political participation through a personalized, on-demand TV diet?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/143550/original/image-20161027-11256-1jxlpu8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Couch potato or engaged citizen?</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-427193119/">Woman on couch via shutterstock.com</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Media and scholarly reports have linked the binge-watching of streaming television to personal health problems. The effects of heavy use of platforms such as Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime have been reported to include <a href="https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2015-01/ica-fol012615.php">depression</a>, <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2015.05.023">chronic illness</a>, <a href="http://communicationandhealth.ro/upload/number3/TEMPLE-NORTHUP.pdf">weight gain</a>, <a href="http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/features/power-down-better-sleep#1">sleep disorders</a> and even a <a href="http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/lifestyle/relationships/bingewatching-tv-shows-is-ruining-your-sex-life-an-expert-has-warned/news-story/348a0e90d3cc3d64da8f39aa2e5cb428">suffering sex life</a>.</p>
<p>In addition, media researchers have specifically suggested that <a href="https://theconversation.com/is-internet-freedom-a-tool-for-democracy-or-authoritarianism-61956">watching Netflix</a> has potentially serious consequences for the <a href="http://crx.sagepub.com/content/early/2016/05/15/0093650216644645.abstract">health of democracy</a>. Their findings indicate that spending more time with online entertainment, such as streaming television, posting selfies, listening to music and playing video games online can entrench authoritarian attitudes and reduce citizens’ interest in politics.</p>
<p>But don’t forego the last several episodes of “<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4574334/">Stranger Things</a>” to switch over to the news just yet. In a recently published study, we found that streaming television may actually facilitate important forms of human interaction, like participating in politics.</p>
<p>Our research found that <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/socsci5040065">people who stream television more frequently</a> were more involved in politics, both online and offline, than people who streamed less TV. No matter what they watched, whether comedy or drama or fantasy, streaming-video viewers were more engaged politically than people who watched the news on broadcast or cable TV. This included making campaign contributions, donating to or volunteering for a campaign, subscribing to a political email list, writing letters to the editor or blog posts, or attending organized political activities like public hearings, town hall meetings or rallies.</p>
<h2>Active selection and viewing is key</h2>
<p>In our generally representative nationwide online survey of just over 1,100 American respondents, more frequent streaming of television was not significantly related to any demographics other than age. While we did find that younger people tend to stream more TV than older people, we found active streamers among people of all income and education levels, both genders and varying political party affiliations.</p>
<p>These findings suggest that engaging with streaming platforms, which use algorithms to personalize content options to users, is a substantively different activity from simply seeing “<a href="http://store.elsevier.com/product.jsp?isbn=9780080542317">what’s on</a>” broadcast or cable television. Rather than simply watching in the more passive model of traditional TV consumption, streaming viewers are using a system that lets them watch whatever they want, whenever and wherever they choose (assuming they have a suitable internet connection). They must, therefore, more actively choose what they watch. They also have more control over their options, unlike traditional TV, where broadcasters decide what to show.</p>
<p>Our study asked respondents not only whether they had binge-watched streaming television, but also what programs they had watched. If they reported bingeing on certain shows, namely “<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1856010/">House of Cards</a>,” “<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2372162/">Orange Is the New Black</a>” or “<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1796960/">Homeland</a>,” we grouped them as streaming “political” content. Likewise, if they indicated watching three or more episodes in a row of “<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3339966/">The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt</a>,” “<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1520211/">The Walking Dead</a>” or “<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0944947/">Game of Thrones</a>,” we grouped them as watchers of “apolitical” content. Of course, if individuals reported bingeing on both types of shows, we added them to a “both” category that comprised the heaviest users of streaming television.</p>
<p>We found that individuals who streamed content – of any type – more frequently also reported higher levels of political participation. Only when people were streaming apolitical content for three or more hours did their online political participation decline, and even then only slightly. This means that those who stream television more frequently are actually more active politically than those who stream television less frequently or not at all.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/143702/original/image-20161028-15793-1beqfeh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/143702/original/image-20161028-15793-1beqfeh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/143702/original/image-20161028-15793-1beqfeh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=464&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/143702/original/image-20161028-15793-1beqfeh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=464&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/143702/original/image-20161028-15793-1beqfeh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=464&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/143702/original/image-20161028-15793-1beqfeh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=583&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/143702/original/image-20161028-15793-1beqfeh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=583&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/143702/original/image-20161028-15793-1beqfeh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=583&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/socsci5040065">Jacob Groshek</a>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Entertaining TV can facilitate political action</h2>
<p>Our results align with previous research. Scholars have found that watching reality TV actually <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0267323110394858">triggers political talk online</a>, for example. Studies on <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/ijpor/edh092">late-night comedy</a> and <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/08824096.2011.565278">political satire</a> have also indicated that entertaining television content can encourage people to be more politically interested and engaged. </p>
<p>This connection between streaming television and political participation, we feel, certainly warrants more attention in our <a href="https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-hybrid-media-system-9780199759484?cc=us&lang=en&">hybrid media system</a> where television experiences are increasingly on-demand, nonhierarchical and highly personalized. Users now decide what, when and where to watch television via an array of algorithmically informed and internet-enabled devices.</p>
<p>Online streaming is therefore part of a sea change in the creation and consumption of television. In the last year alone, Netflix reported that its subscribers cumulatively streamed over <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/subscribers-spent-more-time-per-person-watching-netflix-in-2015-2016-1">42.5 billion hours</a> of content. (This does not take into account the millions of subscriptions to Hulu, Amazon Prime and other services.) But even at this level of viewership, media itself is rarely just “good” or “bad” for democratic politics. And with relatively few studies done so far, it is simply too soon to say whether streaming online TV <a href="https://theconversation.com/is-internet-freedom-a-tool-for-democracy-or-authoritarianism-61956">displaces</a> or <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15205436.1999.9677860">enhances</a> civic and political engagement.</p>
<p>This point is especially important in this election season, when the <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2016/10/21/youtube-presidential-debates-were-the-most-watched-political-live-streams-ever/">presidential debates were the most-watched political live streams ever</a> and users are streaming <a href="http://www.nielsen.com/content/dam/corporate/us/en/reports-downloads/2016-reports/total-audience-report-q1-2016.pdf">more</a> than ever before. Moreover, streaming television itself is also becoming a primary source of original news and political content through apps like <a href="http://www.newsy.com/apps/">Newsy</a> and <a href="https://www.localnow.com/#/">Local Now</a>.</p>
<p>Our evidence thus leads us to believe that how people access and engage television content is as important as what they watch. We do not argue that streaming television is causing political participation to increase: Our data are too limited to prove that at this stage.</p>
<p>But we do argue that streaming television benefits from a <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.17645/mac.v1i1.70">social media logic</a> in a media ecosystem where recommendations, popularity and sharing determine user experiences. People who use communication technologies, namely social media, in this way tend to consistently participate <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/1369118X.2015.1008542">more in civic and political activities</a>. </p>
<p>Therefore, from a political standpoint at least, feel free to binge-watch another episode or series. Odds are that you’ll still participate politically and probably to a greater extent than others who stream less or simply “watch” the news on broadcast or cable television.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/67430/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Streaming television may actually facilitate important forms of human interaction, like participating in politics.Jacob Groshek, Assistant Professor, Emerging Media Studies, Boston UniversitySarah Krongard, Ph.D. Student, Emerging Media Studies, Boston UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.