[SOUND] Welcome to the last three lectures in this course on Scandinavian Film and Television. Which deals with the globalization of the Scandinavian Film Cultures. In 2012, Netflix and HBO Nordic, together with other video on-demand services, also called VODs, was launched in Scandinavia. Netflix is a U.S. based company founded in 1997 as a small mail video rental company and later as a streaming service. As of 2013, they have more than 33 million subscribers worldwide and they have a strong position in not just the U.S. and the U.K. but also South America and other parts of Europe. In Denmark, Netflix managed to get about a half million subscribers in less than a year. The catalog varies in different countries. And Netflix is, of course, aware that a global player, they have to adopt a service to the Regional National Culture. [MUSIC] >> That I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States. That I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States. >> Power is a lot like real estate. It's all about location, location, location. >> Netflix is a global distributor of content. As a global player, they have both the technological and economic power to reach potentially, all markets. But, Netflix is in fact, not just a distributor. They also produce content or support the production of content, locally. If that can give them increased rights to content. They did for instance remake the British series House of Cards in an American version, a production that became a huge global success and also recently received awards. But they also invested in the NRK television series in Norway Lilyhammer, of production with Norwegian directors but with the American Steven Van Zandt in the lead as an American gangster trying to start a new life in Lilyhammer, Norway. >> Why'd you go to the police? Why you calling me first? >> That was before I knew what kind of man you are. >> Good. Someday, and that day may never come, I will call upon you to shovel some snow. But, until that day comes, accept this as a gift. For the weekend my kids are baptized. [MUSIC] We will look into your problem >> Thank you. >> Thank you. [MUSIC] >> What a putz. >> This series was a huge success on with over 900,000 viewers, but also on Netflix U.S. where it was launched in February 2012. Half a year, after the launch of Netflix in Scandinavia, also HBO Nordic was introduced. This online service of film and television works basically in the same way as Netflix. You pay a small monthly fee. And you can watch film and television where and when you want and on old digital platforms, including some game consoles. But the catalog of HBO is so far very much dominated by the American HBO channels original and groundbreaking TV series and films. However, HBO Nordic is clearly also interested in not just distributing, but getting involved in Regional, National Productions which can expand their territory. But the image of HBO productions as a quality brand has secured also HBO Nordic a fair grip of Scandinavia. What we are witnessing with Netflix and HBO Nordic is the arrival of a new global online culture which consumers embrace. Because it's cheap, easy to access and use, and because it allows us to watch the film and television content we want on the platforms we choose. In the traditional media culture, in cinema and television, somebody controls the schedule for you and you can never be sure what's on for you. But the global dimension of this is also worth focusing on. In all Scandinavian countries, cinemas fear this development because they are afraid the big global players will eventually kill off the local market for cinema. The cinema industry as such is also skeptical because big global players can dump the prices. Online companies have a very detailed knowledge of how we tell different film and television products from, with which kinds of audiences. They do in fact have a much better knowledge of global and national markets then the cinema industry has ever had. National Public Service and commercial channels raise the same questions. Will viewers continue watching traditional television? Revolutions in media cultures always cause anxieties. But it is at the same time inevitable that changes will happen with a new technology, especially one with such benefits for the individual consumer. Scandinavian television stations have long adapted to the development by offering more and more flexible online services. Public Service Channels have developed a whole new online culture to supplement the normal linear television services. It is possible to watch the programs online after they have been broadcast. They have a whole archive with programs in old genres dating back to the 1950s which you can watch, if you have a Danish IP address, but sometimes, also, without that. They also launch separate websites with varied diverse sources of material to contextualize the series. In some cases, for instance with historical drama series, such web pages become extended historical archives with newspapers, articles, radio, television and film from that period. In their strategy for a Digital Development DR and other Scandinavian Public Service Broadcasters have termed this the development of digital surplus value. It is about creating something extra on top of the programs. But it is also about trying to organize television consumption in a way proposed traditional viewing in linear time, and individual online viewing becomes possible. The figures for this traditional TV viewing in Scandinavia are going down and will probably continue doing so the next decade. But there is no reason to believe that traditional television channels will not continue to exist just as cinema. After all, radio did not kill live music, but live music found a new place next to radio. Other National Strategies to counter the global online players are the establishing of national online services. The Danish TV2, for instance, established TV2 Film, a special pay-per-view channel. And big phone and television cable providers or satellite providers like TDC in Denmark and ViaSat have launched YouBio and ViaSat Play. But none of these national players, of course, have had a big success. The big global players like Apple, TV and iTunes, Google, Amazon, Netflix, and HBO, are strong enough to be both global and local in a way that national players cannot match. Global Dominance can follow from this. But on the other hand, both Netflix and HBO have already showed a clear interest in working together with the national film and television cultures rather than against them. 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