[Commlist] Call for Chapters: The Streaming Turn in Media Research

*CALL FOR CHAPTERS*

*Proposed Book Title (under early-stage discussion with Springer Nature): *
The Streaming Turn in Media Research: Methodologies for OTT and Digital 
Distribution

*Editor*:
Dr. Nithin Kalorth, Associate Professor, School of Creative Media, 
Bahrain Polytechnic

*Submission Details: *

Interested authors are invited to submit chapter proposals/abstracts 
(approximately 300 words), including author names, institutional 
affiliation, email address, and a short bio (150 words) to 
*(nithinkalorth /at/ gmail.com) <mailto:(nithinkalorth /at/ gmail.com)>* on or before 
25 October 2025.

*Description:*

Over-the-Top (OTT) platforms such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, 
Disney+ Hotstar, and numerous regional services have profoundly 
transformed the global media landscape. Their rapid growth necessitates 
the development of a distinct research agenda to study their 
multifaceted technological, cultural, and economic impacts.

Existing scholarship highlights the disruptive nature of OTT platforms:

• Distribution and Media Geographies: Lobato (2019) demonstrates how OTT 
platforms restructure global media geographies and content flows, 
challenging traditional models of distribution.

• Branding and Commercial Strategies: Wayne (2018) highlights the 
convergence of content, data, and marketing embedded within 
subscription-based services.

• Algorithmic Curation and Data Governance: Scholars such as Napoli 
(2019) and Beer (2017) call for methodological innovation to interrogate 
opaque recommendation systems and their socio-political implications.

• Platform Capitalism: Jin (2019) and Cunningham & Craig (2019) point to 
the economic logics underpinning platformized entertainment ecosystems.

While these studies provide valuable insights, they remain fragmented 
and often address OTT tangentially. As Couldry and Hepp (2017) argue, 
digital infrastructures shape social realities in profound ways, yet a 
comprehensive methodological framework specific to OTT research is still 
absent. This edited volume seeks to fill that gap by formalizing OTT 
studies as a distinct area of media and communication research. It will 
consolidate interdisciplinary approaches—ranging from film and cultural 
studies to computational methods and data analytics—into a unified 
methodological resource. The volume will function both as a theoretical 
intervention and a practical guide for researchers, educators, and 
students, while also providing actionable insights for industry 
professionals and policy stakeholders. Scope of the Volume Chapters may 
address, but are not limited to, the following themes and approaches:

• Narrative Structures in the Streaming Era

• Temporalities and Nonlinear Storytelling

• Character and Identity Construction

• Cultural Narratives and Localization

• Transmedia and Interactive Narratives

• Theoretical Frameworks for OTT Research

• Interface Design and User Experience Research

• Political Economy of OTT Platforms

• Policy Research: Regulatory Frameworks for OTT Content Distribution

• Audience Reception Studies: Measuring Engagement and Cultural Impact 
Primary audiences will include academic researchers, graduate students, 
and faculty in media studies, communication, film studies, and digital 
humanities. Secondary audiences include industry professionals (e.g., 
OTT platform analysts, producers, regulators) seeking evidence-based 
insights into streaming ecosystems.

*References (Selected) *

Beer, D. (2017). The Data Gaze: Capitalism, Power and Perception. SAGE.

Burgess, J., & Green, J. (2018). YouTube: Online Video and Participatory 
Culture (2nd ed.). Polity.

Couldry, N., & Hepp, A. (2017). The Mediated Construction of Reality. 
Polity.

Cunningham, S., & Craig, D. (2019). Social Media Entertainment: The New 
Intersection of Hollywood and Silicon Valley. NYU Press.

Jin, D. Y. (2019). Platform Capitalism and the Cultural Industries. 
Routledge.

Lobato, R. (2019). Netflix Nations: The Geography of Digital 
Distribution. NYU Press. Napoli,

P. M. (2019). Social Media and the Public Interest: Media Regulation in 
the Disinformation Age. Columbia University Press.

Wayne, M. L. (2018). Netflix, Amazon, and branded television content in 
subscription video-on-demand portals. Media, Culture & Society, 40(5), 
725–741.

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