Television and platforms: a case study on datafication in SVoD services Netflix and Amazon Prime Video

Abstract

In recent years, internet-distributed television companies have grown rapidly, especially those guided by the subscription model (SVoD). In the academic field, several attempts have already been made to address these services within the television landscape. However, there is still a gap in framing them as platforms, governed by logic similar to other technology companies, such as Facebook and Google. Thus, this article aims to outline a theoretical panorama combining television studies with current discussions on the processes of datafication and the plataformization of the internet. A case study will be carried out on two SVoD platforms, Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, observing how each of them behaves in terms of the algorithmic personalization, and audience data treatment. It is argued that, in view of the sharp intersection of television models with the digital medium today, it is no longer possible to look at terms such as catalog and audience without taking into account elements such as the system interface, personalization algorithms and the way in which what data is applied.

Keywords: Datafication. Television studies. Plataformization. Video on Demand.