ABSTRACT
The Web series, or serialized content developed for online platforms, is one of the more recent screen media formats to be pursued as a potential holy grail of creative and economic control. The traditional structure of the film and television industries has been upended and, as a result, corporate entities search for new methods to solidify their prime position in the industry. As major players in the industry continually look to expand their holdings and dominance, they are seeing Web series as a lucrative training ground for new (and cheaper) content. Using a political economic framework, this chapter examines the priorities and objectives of large media corporations, including Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Hulu, and how these companies utilize Web series to secure dominant positions in a shifting industry. Emphasis is placed on the types of strategies used by these platforms for securing maximum control and minimum risk as well as the ways in which these companies may differentiate themselves from more traditional audiovisual entertainment corporations. By delving into a political economic examination, we can see how the industry approaches these opportunities in search of control in a rapidly changing and unstable media environment.
