Why to regulate Netflix: the cross-national politics of the audiovisual media governance in the light of streaming platforms

Abstract

Today, at a time of major downturn in the audiovisual sector, several regions and countries are reconsidering the scope and reach of domestic or regional audiovisual media governance and are developing policy instruments in order to involve transnational Video on Demand (VOD) platforms, such as Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, in the financing, distribution and visibility of local, national and regional audiovisual content. A key issue that emerges from this backdrop is to provide convincing answers about why public authorities are feeling the urge to develop new regulations towards global VOD streamers in a specific sequence and temporality and to focus on variables, which are expected to understand this cross-national policy momentum for regulating VOD services. In addition, even though transnational VOD services represent disruptive new actors, creating industrial, technological and institutional shock, this disruption does not lead to the same political issue cross-nationally and to the same kind of policy responses. Firstly, the article explores the key outlines that the academic literature highlights in order to understand the regulation of online platforms in the media sectors. Secondly, it provides a cross-national portrayal of policy initiatives towards the VOD streamers, focusing on the EU Member States, Australia, Canada, Mexico and South Africa. Thirdly, the article argues that political struggles over VOD platforms are expected to be framed and fought simultaneously by two crucial variables, dealing with state-society relationships and global interdependence.