What factors determine international television flows on over-the-top platforms? A fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis approach

Abstract

The rapid evolution of Over-The-Top (OTT) platforms has redefined the dynamics of international cultural exchange and reshaped traditional media environments. This study explores the complex interplay of economic and cultural factors that influence the transnational flow of TV programs in the OTT era. Building upon existing perspectives, which explain international media flow, cultural imperialism, and cultural proximity, this study employs the Fuzzy-Set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) methodology to uncover how these factors combine to shape recent media flows. Unlike previous studies that treated economic and cultural factors independently, this research examines their complex interactions to provide a more holistic understanding of their combined influence. This study analyzed data on the daily top 10 Netflix TV show streaming rankings in 75 countries from 1 January 2021 to 4 June 2023. The fsQCA analysis revealed three major patterns: 1) cases of high Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the production country, and close geographical distances between nations; 2) cases centered on linguistic similarity, that exhibit close geographical and cultural distances; and 3) cases of high GDP in the production country, linguistic similarities, and close cultural distances. These findings reveal that economic and cultural factors do not operate independently; instead, they interact in complex ways to shape global media flows providing a more holistic understanding of their influence by highlighting the importance of factor combinations in understanding cultural exchange. This research also offers empirical insights for OTT operators on optimizing content strategies and contributes to the broader understanding of international media management.