Audio-visual industry and digital platforms in India: A contribution from political economy of communication

Abstract

This article examines the role played by digital platforms in the transformation of the audio-visual industry in India. Are video-on-demand platforms contributing to India’s growing dependence on global players or are they asserting the diversification of domestic players and the progress of Indian capitalism in the cultural and digital industries? To answer, we analyse the strategies of competition and collaboration between historical audio-visual players versus communication players, the dynamics of foreign ownership and the content localisation strategies of global players. We conclude that the study of digital platforms offers an important insight into new forms of economic and cultural hegemony in the cultural industries.

A Critical Political Economy Perspective on Indian Television: STAR, Hotstar, and Live Sports Streaming

“…Hence, live sports streaming has been a crucial way for television content and practices to escape the confines of broadcast media. However, they are neither innocent of the techno-politics of control instrumentalized by Internet capitalism, nor should we overlook their particular facilitation of economic and cultural hegemony in broadcast industries (Bouquillion & Ithurbide 2022). Therefore, we show that while changes in the television ecosystem have occurred due to the launch of OTT platforms, television's political economy's fundamental structure has remained resilient.…”