The transition from linear television to VOD in Italy. The impact on consumers and on the audiovisual industry.

Abstract

The aim of this research is to analyse the transition to non-linear television in Italy, studying in particular the consequences of this phenomenon for the consumer and the television market and, to a lesser extent, some of its effects on cinema. The dissertation will be divided into three chapters. The first chapter will focus on the definition of TV schedule, the pivotal tool of any programmer, which determines what will be broadcast and in which time slot. Furthermore, it will discuss the main changes, both in terms of TV schedule's structure and in the role of the viewer, that have taken place from the beginning of television history up to the early 2000s. The second chapter will deal with on-demand platforms. In particular, it will examine the stages that led to the difficult diffusion of VOD, the technical and commercial functioning of a streaming portal and, lastly, the characteristics inherited from linear television and the main objectives of the different types of platforms. Finally, the third chapter will look at the real impact of on-demand platforms on users and on the audiovisual sector as a whole, from three different perspectives: the economic results achieved, the new consumption habits and the digitalisation of the country. It will then briefly consider the negative effects of on-demand on cinema and, through MUBI's case study, the potential positive effects.