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

Abstract

Using the media industry studies approach, this article examines the acquisition strategies and licensing practices employed by three recently launched niche Jewish/Israeli subscription video on-demand (SVOD) services. Drawing on qualitative interviews with executives and publicly available materials, this analysis argues that these services acquire film and television titles through a combination of traditional and innovative licensing arrangements intended to maximize access to Jewish-themed or Israeli-produced content unwanted by better funded platforms. The findings reveal the ways in which access to specific kinds of content is dependent on executives’ ability to leverage preexisting industry-specific professional relationships as they attempt to maximize the value created from limited economic resources. As such, this article offers insights by contextualizing licensing practices being employed by niche SVODs across film and television industries while also highlighting the limitations of using the mainstream/niche binary to understand streaming distribution.