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."