[ecrea] SCMS 2015: Streaming Video Platforms and the Television Industry

Call for Proposals

Society for Cinema and Media Studies (SCMS)

March 25-29, 2015 in Montreal, Canada


*Streaming Video Platforms and the Television Industry*

Although streaming video platforms have been a growing presence in the 
television industry for nearly a decade, 2014 has been an especially 
notable year. Netflix scored significant awards attention for both 
/House of Cards /and /Orange is the New Black /and helped revive AMC’s 
/The Killing /yet again; Amazon unveiled the second round of its 
uncommon Pilot Season process and purchased streaming rights to HBO 
programming for its expanding digital library; and Hulu hit an all-time 
high in subscribers and became the exclusive streaming home of /South 
Park./ More importantly, it’s not just those “big three” platforms 
making waves. Yahoo’s Screen saved NBC’s /Community/ from sure 
cancellation, stories about HBO GO crashing due to overwhelming demand 
have become part of the news cycle, and Crackle is now a multi-time Emmy 
nominee.

But how does the increasing prominence of these platforms—as producers, 
buyers, and distributors—impact the established groups within television 
industry? When should networks and studios view the platforms as 
partners and when are they more clearly competitors? Are these platforms 
truly changing business models or just parroting old approaches in new 
spaces? This panel seeks to highlight the future of streaming video 
platforms and their integration (or lack thereof) into industry 
practices. Paper topics may include but are not limited to:


*Analysis of the streaming video platforms’ growing interest in original 
series production and its influence on broadcast or cable network output 
or the typical development process


*Investigations into platforms’ various approaches to distribution such 
as Netflix’s “all at once” release strategy or Hulu and Amazon’s use of 
paywalls


*Considerations of platforms’ revival of cancelled series or the 
purchase of significant library content


*Examinations of the various discourses surrounding the platforms, 
including trade press chatter, critical acclaim, fan responses, awards 
season promotion, and branding


*Studies of particular partnerships or feuds between the platforms and 
more veteran networks, studios, or production companies


*Case studies of lesser known or nascent streaming video platforms


Please submit an abstract of 250-300 words and a brief bio to Cory 
Barker ((barkerc /at/ indiana.edu) <mailto:(barkerc /at/ indiana.edu)>) by August 11. 
Decisions will be made by August 18.


--
Cory Barker
Graduate Student
Department of Communication and Culture
Indiana University
twitter.com/corybarker <http://twitter.com/corybarker>
(765) 499-0080
(barkerc65 /at/ gmail.com) <mailto:(barkerc65 /at/ gmail.com)>


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