The OTT TV Box as a Diasporic Media Platform

Abstract

The "TV box," as it is colloquially known, is a specific type of over-the-top television streaming device that enables viewing of international television channels on the user's TV set. This article focuses on a distinct submarket of Android-based TV boxes (including both legal and pirate devices) that have emerged to service diasporic communities and that are sold informally in groceries, electronics stores, and online. Through a case study of Indian and South Asian TV box markets in Australia, we explore the distinctive business models, pricing structures, and anti-piracy enforcement strategies that characterize these markets. Our analysis shows how the TV box, notwithstanding its questionable legality, has become a global platform for what Naficy described as "decentralized global narrowcasting."The "TV box," as it is colloquially known, is a specific type of over-the-top (OTT) television streaming device that enables viewing of live, linear television channels on the user's TV set via an HDMI connection. TV boxes come in many different varieties; however, our focus here is on a distinct submarket of Android-based devices that have emerged primarily to service diasporic media audiences and which includes both licensed and pirate devices. ExamplesThe distinctive characteristic of the diasporic TV box, as we define it here, is its unique commodity form. TV boxes are sold on a one-off basis as plug-and-play devices, rather than on a subscription basis through telcos and pay-TV providers (although hybrid business models are now appearing, as discussed below). The typical scenario of buying a TV box involves paying cash to an agent or retailer, in return for a device promising unlimited access to hundreds of live channels for a fixed or indefinite period. There is no need to sign up to a provider, nor is there any exchange of customer details, credit card numbers, or personal data. The TV box's status as an "off-the-shelf" commodity, rather than an element of a subscription package, helps to explain its distinctive commercial ecology, which encompasses both formal and informal markets, and the spaces in between.

Exploring Diaspora Identities and Media Consumption among Indian Immigrants in the United States

“…This research illuminates the active participation of Asian Indian immigrants, who shape their own narratives and reinforce cultural identities. It emphasizes the importance of recognizing and catering to evolving media preferences to foster meaningful connections with diverse diaspora audiences (Lobato & Sarkar, 2019).…”

“We Don’t Aspire to Be Netflix”: Understanding Content Acquisition Practices Among Niche Streaming Services

“…In light of their explicit self-identification as providers of Israeli/Jewish content, it is appropriate to conceptualize ChaiFlicks, Izzy, and Jewzy as diasporic media platforms. Like the short-lived satellite channel MTV Desi (Mallapragada 2012) or Indian and South Asian over-the-top (OTT) television boxes (Lobato and Sarkar 2019), the targeted audiences for these streaming services are primarily ethnically defined. Furthermore, significant portions of the subscriber bases for these services are diasporic members of an ethnic group who use these services to watch content from Israel or other places identified as being associated with the Jewish diaspora.…”