Netflix and Streaming Video is the first book to provide a comprehensive foundation for
understanding the business of subscriber-funded streaming video and its implications for the
role of these services in culture. Drawing on Lotz's two decades of research it highlights the
similarities and differences among streaming video services (Netflix Amazon) and video
distribution technologies (broadcast satellite internet). Making a number of provocative and
thought-provoking arguments the book first reveals how the reliance on subscriber payment and
video on demand produces different norms and strategies compared to previous video businesses.
It then investigates Netflix and how its particular blend of characteristics distinguishes it
from other subscriber-funded video on demand services. The author expertly shows that by
understanding the underlying economic and technological dynamics of these services (and their
differences) it is possible to better assess the actions taken by the companies and what the
future of video may encompass. The book is a must-read for students and scholars of Media and
Communications Studies as well as those wishing to learn more about Netflix and streaming
video services.
