Streaming women: Hayu, Passionflix and gendered demographics in subscription video-on-demand

Abstract

The focus of most academic analysis of subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) services so far has been on “first tier” platforms like Netflix and Prime Video. These platforms are spending and charging significant amounts of money to adopt a generalist strategy that rhetorically disregards demographics . However, not all SVODs operate in this manner. This article will consider examples of second (subsidiary) and third (independent) tier SVODs for whom traditional demographic thinking remains fundamental to their core business model. We examine second tier service Hayu and third tier service Passionflix as female-targeted SVODs that represent a spectrum of approaches to gendered curation, from the online extension of reality programming long-linked to cable interests, to the production and promotion of softcore erotica SVOD originals. We combine analyses of catalogues, interfaces, marketing, paratexts, and original production to consider how SVODs conceptualise, address, and court female audiences in different ways.