Netflix in Europe: Four Markets, Four Platforms? A Comparative Analysis of Audio-Visual Offerings and Investment Strategies in Four EU States

Abstract

In the context of Netflix’s rapid expansion in European markets and its growing investments in original content, this article conducts a comparative case study analysis of Netflix offerings and investment strategies in four European Union countries: Belgium, Romania, Spain, and Sweden. A first aim of the article is to establish the extent to which offerings in these markets confirm or reshape the findings of transnational flow studies on the imbalance of content supply. A second aim is to analyze how these offerings reflect the platform’s investment strategies in the different markets. Although findings point to increased diversity in catalog composition, as well as growing investments in European works, Netflix also reconfirms and contributes to existing power imbalances between markets. US content dominates the four European catalogs, while investments in European original content considerably favor strong media markets over weaker ones.