Streaming Video Drives Documentary Production Trends and Private Investment (2008 to 2022)

Abstract

Abstract The trend toward commercialization in the “docbuster” years intensified in the streaming era. Chapter 6 covers the contemporary moment, beginning in 2008. That year Netflix founded its streaming service and made documentary films a key part of its brand identity. This chapter explores how Netflix’s strategy around documentary shifted between 2008 and 2020. These shifts profoundly affected the documentary film industry—they drove production trends, caused filmmakers to adjust their mode of production, sent small theatrical distributors into a tailspin, and inspired numerous other streamers and portals to imitate Netflix’s strategy. With more outlets eager to acquire documentaries, the risk of investment lowered substantially, and companies began large-scale private investing in documentary projects for the first time ever.