Research Article
11 December 2023

Supply Diversity in Subscription Video-on-Demand Platforms in Mexico and Canada

Publication: Canadian Journal of Communication
Volume 48, Number 4

Abstract

Abstract

Background: Using the term “cultural diversity” as an analytical framework and normative guideline to assess cultural flows, this article analyzes the catalogs of major platforms for subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) in Mexico and Canada.
Analysis: This study systematized the catalogs’ content titles to produce statistics on country of origin as indicators of “supply diversity.”
Conclusions and implications: The results reveal that (1) content from the United States and Europe predominates; (2) tech platforms offer a higher degree of international content (“external diversity”) than platforms from traditional Hollywood studios and local companies; and (3) for most platforms, local content is scarce, which could indicate lower “internal diversity.”

Résumé

Contexte : Utilisant l’expression « diversité culturelle » comme cadre analytique et guide normatif pour évaluer les flux culturels, cet article examine les catalogues des principales plateformes de vidéo à la demande par abonnement (VADA) au Mexique et au Canada.
Analyse : Cette étude a recensé les titres du contenu des catalogues afin de produire des statistiques sur le pays d’origine comme indicateurs de la « diversité de l’offre ».
Conclusion et implications : Les résultats montrent que (1) le contenu provient principalement des États-Unis et de l’Europe; (2) les plateformes technologiques offrent plus de contenu international (« diversité externe ») que les plateformes des studios hollywoodiens traditionnels et des entreprises locales; (3) pour la plupart des plateformes, le contenu local est rare, ce qui pourrait indiquer une plus faible « diversité interne ».

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Information & Authors

Information

Published In

Go to Canadian Journal of Communication
Canadian Journal of Communication
Volume 48Number 4December 2023
Pages: 663 - 688

History

Received: 26 October 2022
Revision received: 6 March 2023
Accepted: 20 April 2023
Published in print: December 2023
Published online: 11 December 2023

Keywords:

  1. subscription video on demand (SVOD) platforms
  2. streaming video platforms
  3. cultural diversity
  4. supply diversity
  5. catalogs

Mots clés : 

  1. plateformes de vidéo à la demande par abonnement (VADA)
  2. plateformes de diffusion vidéo en continu
  3. diversité culturelle
  4. diversité de l’offre
  5. catalogues

Authors

Affiliations

Argelia Muñoz Larroa
Biography: Argelia Muñoz Larroa is a researcher of the Conacyt postdoctoral program at Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Cuajimalpa. Email: [email protected].
Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Cuajimalpa, Mexico City, Mexico

Notes

Data Accessibility: All data will not be made publicly available. Researchers who require access to the study data can contact the corresponding author for further information.
Funding: This research was conducted with the support of Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (2019–2021) through the Postdoctoral Scholarships Program at the Center for Research on North America with Dr. Graciela Martínez-Zalce Sánchez as well as Conacyt’s Postdoctoral Fellowships for Mexico (2021–present) at Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Cuajimalpa with Dr. Rodrigo Gómez García.
Disclosures: The author has no conflicts of interest to disclose.
Acknowledgments: The author would like to thank Carley Chávez Muñoz and Luis Argota Vega for completing the data extraction and preparation for this article.

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Canadian Journal of Communication 2023 48:4, 663-688

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