Netflix is ​​pressing local production to maintain its broadcast leadership

The company acquired it at the end of the first quarter 3.98 million new users, Which is a large number, though Half of the estimates From analysts. Thus, the great fear of operators has embodied in less pronounced growth than usual since the start of the pandemic By the end of 2020, it had over 203 million users.

However, Netflix removes doubts about the letter to its shareholders and blames “A. List of lighter contents In the first half of this year “expected drop in subscribers. The truth is that Netflix has shown phenomenal growth for years, one of the keys to this phenomenon is responding to it.” Transnational character and strategy.

To sample, button. In mid-April, the on-demand television giant She announced her new Spanish productions for the next few months. Seven new and very diverse projects: three series (“Intimidad” and “Baruca” and “If You’ve Known It”, two films (“Through My Window” and “Eres tú”) and “Two Reality Shows” (“Amor”) Bail Introduction From Monica Naranjo and “Georgina”) .These titles will expand the platform’s catalog that has only increased under a global strategy, as evidenced by a study by researchers Anthony Roig, Judith Clarisse and Jordi Sanchez of the Open University of Catalonia (UOC), and published in the Journal of Communication and Society .

The researchers have taken a reference to the various systems that the platform has followed in recent years regarding its original feature films to reach the conclusion it has published. Diverse and universal layout: “Specifically, it has been promoted in conjunction with various methods such as premiering in theaters, presence in film festivals, trial-and-error micro-experiments and local productions in countries with a” broadcast “or broadcast service, Roig says.

Search for differentiation

The report explains how the platform has sought to legitimize its cultural pieces from “fast consumption” to “high quality” by showing it at international film festivals. “Roma” is a typical caseIn 2019, he was awarded three statuettes at the Oscars.

On the other hand, Netflix has increased its investment in the production and distribution of original films Unpublished fictional films For your subscribers and It differentiates itself from other platforms in this segment. It has also chosen to release movies online before in theaters, “Clarisse explains.

The report notes that the increase in the number Netflix original audiovisual productions In various regions, it was another key to the success of its results.

In this sense, this platform achieved an increase in productions in French or Spanish, which went from having no Netflix original productions in 2015 to six and seven pieces respectively.

“Non-English speaking films, despite being in the minority, are getting more and more important, and in 2018 they were already 35% of the total. This fact indicates The importance of highlighting the local In different countries. Not only does it highlight the most profitable and popular productions on a global scale, but also the local productions that help Netflix present itself as a local global brand, or as a transnational brand, ”the authors say.

Finally, Clares confirms that another feature of Netflix is ​​the maximum audience that it can reach, that is, feature films that are released on its platforms are released almost simultaneously in all parts of the world, so Media influence The oldest.