ABSTRACT
This chapter investigates how major US subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) services entered European markets and established themselves within Europe’s complex and diverse media systems. The analysis reviews market entry theories and assesses their applicability to digitally native SVOD services. Drawing mainly on secondary industry data and trade press, we assess the economic positioning and the phases of SVOD market entry in Europe, considering metrics such as subscriber shares, revenue models, investments in content, and adherence to regulation. The findings highlight that SVOD services have applied various strategies to enter the European market, driven by market fragmentation and unique conditions. Competitive dynamics, the move towards aggregation and hybrid monetisation models, as well as the prospects of consolidation in an increasingly mature European streaming sector, contribute to ongoing trends.
