Online entertainment: A new wave of media globalization? (Introduction)

This article considers the phenomena of global online screen entertainment platforms in the context of enduring debates in communication and media studies concerning media globalization. While the relatively frictionless globality of such phenomena demands attention, we stress the differences between such platforms and the system of national broadcasting, film, and DVD release and licensing by windowing and territory. The latter, established forms of global media, enter territories with IP-controlled content, whereas platforms such as YouTube exhibit facilitation rather than content control and much greater content, creator, service firm, and language and cultural diversity than traditional global media hegemons. The article introduces the Special Section and argues that we are witnessing the rise of a proto–media industry that represents nontraditional media ownership, disruptive platforms, and unique content innovation that challenges our prior conceptions of media globalization, including national regulatory regimes.