Netflix, as a tech company, is currently the largest global streaming platform challenging traditional US studios. This article analyses Netflix’s transnational business strategies disrupting such status quo by focusing, on one local example: Mexico. Literature on Netflix has identified some of the transnational strategies studied here, this article adds to the discussion the use of local elements to infiltrate the power hub of Hollywood. By using the holistic scope of Political Economy, this research presents an integrated examination of: (a) the structural conditions of the Mexican audiovisual system in which Netflix is immersed; (b) the tech company’s expansion strategies; (c) the case of the movie Roma as a pivot-like tactic to push forward different company goals. The article argues that Netflix, by setting a new form of audiovisual circulation through innovation technology, has understood the key areas to break the audiovisual market value chain allowing it to gain global dominance.

The main objective of this article is to present an analysis of 20 years of the North America FreeTrade Agreement (nafta) in the area of cultural policies, specifically, those related to cultural industries. Our main focus is to compare the positions that the Canadian and Mexican governments have taken vis-à-vis the world's number-one audiovisual power, the United States. Within this scenario, we have spotlighted the Mexican case.Key words: cultural policy, cultural industries, nafta, audiovisual, Canada, Mexico. ResumenEl objetivo principal de este artículo es presentar un análisis de los veinte años del Tratado de Libre Comercio de América del Norte (tlcan) en el área de políticas culturales, específicamente las relacionadas con las industrias culturales. Nuestro enfoque se centra en comparar las posturas que los gobiernos canadiense y mexicano han tenido frente a Estados Unidos, el poder audiovisual número uno del mundo. Dentro de este escenario hemos destacado el caso de México.

This article examines the contribution of streaming platforms in providing financial investment – in the form of co-productions, commissions and acquisitions of audio-visual content – as well as capital returns to local audio-visual producers. It will focus on the North American region, particularly on Mexico and Canada, as gravitating around stronger US audio-visual companies. Studies of traditional audio-visual windows in the countries studied have pointed out the undercapitalization of independent content producers due to financial structures and capital return models that are disadvantageous to them. This article questions: what is streaming’s contribution, as a new commercialization window, to the capitalization of local independent producers? The research conducted a qualitative study of interviews with film producers and distributors as well as an industrial analysis based on previous studies, media and business reports. The research has found that streaming tends to provide: (1) equal or slightly less returns than what the DVD window used to offer; and (2) equal or more generous figures than those delivered by TV and cinema exhibition windows. Furthermore, streaming has promoted a burgeoning production activity – adding to the production from traditional players (film and TV). These are benefits that should not be overlooked. However, streaming has not altered independent producers’ disadvantageous position: (1) revenue shares are still relatively small; (2) licences represent small percentages of what content costs to make; (3) commissioning and co-production budgets are fairly close to production costs; and (4) the boom of platforms’ original production is actually a battle among large corporations to control intellectual property (IP). All the above keep hindering the financial capacity of local independent producers.

Review of: Audiovisual Industries and Diversity: Economics and Policies in the Digital Era, Luis A. Albornoz and María Trinidad García Leiva (eds) (2019)New York: Routledge, 210 pp.,ISBN 978-1-13838-445-3, h/bk, USD 124

El siguiente artículo presenta los resultados de un análisis de las plataformas de streaming de video independientes que están disponibles en México. El objetivo es identificar su función socio-cultural y económica así como los retos a los que se enfrentan. Para ello se creó un directorio de plataformas que permitió obtener estadísticas originales y que fue la base para realizar una investigación cualitativa sustentada en el análisis temático de documentos como páginas web de las plataformas y reportes periodísticos con testimonios de los responsables de las plataformas. El estudio se apoyó además en entrevistas originales a gestores de plataformas, productores y distribuidores audiovisuales. Se encontró que dentro de las funciones de las plataformas independientes están democratizar la distribución audiovisual y retornar ingresos justos a sus creadores así como ofrecer un contenido diverso y resguardarlo. Sin embargo, en el entorno actual de concentración del mercado por parte de las grandes plataformas, las independientes se enfrentan a retos para capitalizarse, promoverse y tener un piso parejo de competencia económica dentro del subsector del streaming de video. Con el fin de abordar dichos retos, el artículo sugiere líneas generales en las que futuras investigaciones académicas y la gestión pública puedan contribuir para fomentar el desarrollo de las plataformas independientes.