Impact of Global Streaming Platforms on Television Production: A Case Study of Czech Content Production

Abstract

The television industry is facing new challenges when adapting to the current streaming
culture and exploring possibilities of digital distribution. Global streaming services are perceived as a major source of audiovisual entertainment in various countries regardless of the cultural and national heritage of the viewers and thus market competition has immensely increased. This paper focuses on the influence of global video-on-demand (VOD) services on audiovisual production on a national scale. The emphasis is on television production as the audience is transferring into the digital environment – this is perceived as an opportunity for television to appear more competitive while drawing on its unique knowledge of the national audience. The case study demonstrates how the audiovisual industry in the Czech Republic is an example of a strongly nationally oriented market whose evolvement is impacted by the presence of global platforms such as Netflix or HBO Max. Furthermore, by providing examples from the Czech platforms’ market, the case study also illustrates the expansion of local broadcasting providers into the digital sphere.