Netflix – the curation of taste and the business of diversification

Abstract

Netflix is considered as a global business invested in strategies of diversification, localisation and personalisation in light of several discourses about the streaming service. One presents Netflix as an evil corporation encouraging binge-watching and reducing individuals to data. A utopian discourse proclaims the democratising potential of digital media technologies, including Netflix’s claims about its personalised, on-demand service. An industry discourse laments Netflix’s disruption of the film and television business. Finally, a scholarly discourse maps the political economy and cultural impact of Netflix. Each discourse attaches a particular cultural value to Netflix. Some offer »antidotes«, including the niche streamers, with their »curated« collections of specialised content. Both types of streamer are in fact gatekeepers regulating access to cultural experiences and promoting particular ideas of taste and diversity. Netflix’s strategies of customisation and glocalisation, and its activities in the Middle East and North Africa, demonstrate in the end that diversity is good for business.