"I Can Watch What I Want": A Diary Study of On-Demand and Cross-Device Viewing

In recent years, on-demand video services, such as Netflix and Amazon Video, have become extremely popular. To understand how people use these services, we recruited 20 people from nine households to keep a viewing diary for 14 days. To better understand these household viewing diaries, in-depth interviews were conducted. We found that people took advantage of the freedom and choice that on-demand services offer, watching on different devices and in different locations, both in the home and outside. People often watched alone so they could watch what they wanted, rather than coming together to watch something of mutual interest. Despite this flexibility, the evening prime time continued to be the most popular time for people to watch on-demand content. Sometimes they watched for extended periods, and during interviews concerns were expressed about how on-demand services make it far too easy to watch too much and that this is often undesirable

Netflix in Web of Science: a bibliometric approach

Netflix has shaken up audiovisual industry, but what about academic research? This bibliometric analysis focuses on 210 papers indexed in Web of Science that address this issue. We examine the author, university of affiliation, language, journal, keywords, year of publication, citations received, and categories covered in WoS. We also conducted a quantitative analysis of abstracts and papers to identify the most recurrent methodologies, themes, and samples. Our results highlight a rise in Netflix studies in recent years and their tendency to analyse specific audiovisual works. There are many qualitative analysis of specific Netflix hits, but none of the shows particularly stands out. It also shows a rise in “Communication” and “Film, Radio & Television” papers (40% of them), although academic interest relies on Netflix corporate culture, business, and algorithm. These studies are mainly carried out using a qualitative methodology (83%). More than half of the articles focus on one of the Netflix series and, among them, the greatest interest lies in the representation of specific issues; gender, race and sexuality are present in 25% of the works in the sample (n=210). At the same time, among the 367 authors signing these research papers, the parity between men (51%) and women (49%) is almost absolute. It appears that the geographical and linguistic variety of papers is related to Netflix’s global expansion and that the sheer number of titles covered reveals a fleeting attention due to Netflix’s trademark: swift and concentrated consumption.Netflix ha revolucionado la industria audiovisual, pero ¿y la investigación académica? Este análisis bibliométrico se centra en 210 artículos indexados en Web of Science que abordan esta cuestión. Examinamos el autor, la universidad de afiliación, el idioma, la revista, las palabras clave, el año de publicación, las citas recibidas y las categorías cubiertas en WoS. También realizamos un análisis cuantitativo de los resúmenes y los artículos para identificar las metodologías, los temas y las muestras más recurrentes. Se evidencia un aumento de los estudios sobre Netflix en los últimos años y una tendencia a analizar obras específicas (aunque ninguna destaca especialmente). También aumentan los trabajos sobre “Comunicación” y “Cine, Radio y Televisión” (40 %), aunque el interés académico se centra en la cultura corporativa, el negocio y el algoritmo de Netflix. Estos estudios se realizan principalmente con una metodología cualitativa (83 %). Más de la mitad de los artículos se centran en una de las series de Netflix y, entre ellos, el mayor interés radica en la representación de temas específicos; el género, la raza y la sexualidad están presentes en el 25 % de la muestra (n=210). Al mismo tiempo, entre los 367 autores, la paridad entre hombres (51 %) y mujeres (49 %) es casi absoluta. La variedad geográfica y lingüística de los trabajos responde a la expansión mundial de Netflix y el gran número de títulos tratados revela una atención fugaz debida a la propia identidad de marca de Netflix: su consumo rápido y concentrado

Netflix in Web of Science: a bibliometric approach

Netflix has shaken up audiovisual industry, but what about academic research? This bibliometric analysis focuses on 210 papers indexed in Web of Science that address this issue. We examine the author, university of affiliation, language, journal, keywords, year of publication, citations received, and categories covered in WoS. We also conducted a quantitative analysis of abstracts and papers to identify the most recurrent methodologies, themes, and samples. Our results highlight a rise in Netflix studies in recent years and their tendency to analyse specific audiovisual works. There are many qualitative analysis of specific Netflix hits, but none of the shows particularly stands out. It also shows a rise in "Communication" and "Film, Radio & Television" papers (40% of them), although academic interest relies on Netflix corporate culture, business, and algorithm. These studies are mainly carried out using a qualitative methodology (83%). More than half of the articles focus on one of the Netflix series and, among them, the greatest interest lies in the representation of specific issues; gender, race and sexuality are present in 25% of the works in the sample (n=210). At the same time, among the 367 authors signing these research papers, the parity between men (51%) and women (49%) is almost absolute. It appears that the geographical and linguistic variety of papers is related to Netflix's global expansion and that the sheer number of titles covered reveals a fleeting attention due to Netflix's trademark: swift and concentrated consumption.Netflix ha revolucionado la industria audiovisual, pero ¿y la investigación académica? Este análisis bibliométrico se centra en 210 artículos indexados en Web of Science que abordan esta cuestión. Examinamos el autor, la universidad de afiliación, el idioma, la revista, las palabras clave, el año de publicación, las citas recibidas y las categorías cubiertas en WoS. También realizamos un análisis cuantitativo de los resúmenes y los artículos para identificar las metodologías, los temas y las muestras más recurrentes. Se evidencia un aumento de los estudios sobre Netflix en los últimos años y una tendencia a analizar obras específicas (aunque ninguna destaca especialmente). También aumentan los trabajos sobre“Comunicación” y “Cine, Radio y Televisión” (40 %), aunque el interés académico se centra en la cultura corporativa, el negocio y el algoritmo de Netflix. Estos estudios se realizan principalmente con una metodología cualitativa (83 %). Más de la mitad de los artículos se centran en una de las series de Netflix y, entre ellos, el mayor interés radica en la representación de temas específicos; el género, la raza y la sexualidad están presentes en el 25 % de la muestra (n=210). Al mismo tiempo, entre los 367 autores, la paridad entre hombres (51 %) y mujeres (49 %) es casi absoluta. La variedad geográfica y lingüística de los trabajos responde a la expansión mundial de Netflix y el gran número de títulos tratados revela una atención fugaz debida a la propia identidad de marca de Netflix: su consumo rápido y concentrado

The binge-watcher’s journey: Investigating motivations, contexts, and affective states surrounding Netflix viewing

The growth of Internet-distributed TV services has transformed video consumption, enhancing the level of control that viewers have over what they watch. Along with the release of entire seasons of programming at once, this has led to the phenomenon of ‘binge-watching’, in which several episodes of a program are viewed in one sitting. This article presents the results of a novel exploratory study focused on 40 Netflix viewing sessions from 11 millennials in their homes. Methodologically, we employed a novel mixed-methods approach that combines objective data (collected through a browser extension) and subjective data (collected via questionnaires completed before and after viewing). This novel approach allowed us to describe the binge-watcher’s experience in a holistic fashion. Results suggest that binge-watching is an individual activity mainly performed at the end of the day to relax, for boredom relief purposes, or for escapism. Furthermore, a binge-watching session lasts for an average of 2 h and 10 min, and variations on binge-watchers’ affective states were identified after Netflix exposure. Participants’ levels of valence (unhappy–happy) significantly decreased after binge-watching; their positive affect values increased primarily after watching sci-fi, while their negative affect values decreased after watching comedy and slightly increased after watching drama. However, the levels of arousal (relaxed–stimulated) remained the same. This study extends our current understanding of binge-watching in terms of viewer motivations, how it affects their viewing experiences, and participants’ subjective affective states. The investigation contributes, thus

Development of a questionnaire to measure immersion in video media: The Film IEQ

Researchers and practitioners are keen to understand how new video viewing practices driven by technological developments impact viewers' experiences. We detail the development of the Immersive Experience Questionnaire for Film and TV (Film IEQ). An exploratory factor analysis based on responses from 414 participants revealed a four-factor structure of (1) captivation, (2) real-world dissociation, (3) comprehension, and (4) transportation. We validated the Film IEQ in an experiment that replicated prior research into the effect of viewing on screens of varying size. Responses captured by the Film IEQ indicate that watching on a small phone screen reduces the viewer's level of comprehension, and that this negatively impacts the viewing experience, compared to watching on a larger screen. The Film IEQ allows researchers and practitioners to assess video viewing experiences using a questionnaire that is easy to administer, and that has been empirically validated

Video Media in the Hyperconnected Age: Investigating Emergent Viewing Practices

Recent technological developments have changed the way video is consumed. The uptake of fast internet connections and ubiquitous mobile devices mean that people can watch via on demand services, and that viewers often media multitask with phones and tablets during viewing. This thesis examines on-demand viewing and media multitasking with mobile devices in detail. Two situated studies extend our understanding of these behaviours through video observation and diary studies. It was found that using mobile devices while viewing was common, though subject to different usage patterns and individual differences. Self-reported media multitasking propensity correlated with observational data, suggesting that some people consistently media multitask more than others. People valued the freedom and choice provided by on-demand services, which drove their popularity. Viewing occurred in a range of contexts and on a variety of devices. However, some were concerned that it was difficult to limit their viewing. In order to quantify viewer experience, a questionnaire was developed to measure immersion. This was used in two lab experiments investigating specific behaviours that were previously observed: watching on screens of different sizes; and being interrupted by notifications while watching. It was found that both watching on small screens and interruptions from notifications negatively affected immersion. The findings of this research affect viewers, content producers, and TV networks. To preserve and improve viewing experiences, stakeholders should be mindful of both positive and negative effects when considering personal usage and the development of new viewing technologies

Factors influencing the popularity of YouTube videos and users’ decisions to watch them

A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the University of Wolverhampton for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy.YouTube has substantial impact on modern society as the second most popular website in the world. Despite its sustained popularity, little is known about which types of video are most viewed and the reasons why people choose to watch them. This research critically analyses the sample of videos provided by the YouTube API, then uses the metrics associated with these videos to help assess which types of YouTube video are popular. It also harnesses a questionnaire of mainly UK teacher education graduate YouTube users to investigate which factors influence decisions to watch YouTube videos. This was a convenience sample selected to achieve a high response rate, which it achieved (81%), minimising non-response bias. The video lists provided by the YouTube API were not random samples but contained a wide range of types of video (including both popular and unpopular), except that older videos were avoided. There were substantial differences between categories in the average properties of the videos returned and the proportion of videos returned on multiple days. The most popular categories from the YouTube metadata collected based on average view counts are varied: From TV, Best of, Animation and How-to. Cause-based video categories tended to be unpopular. Video popularity did not seem to be affected by video duration, on average. Users are more likely to interact with (comment, like, dislike) videos that are useful or supporting in some way. Videos that are interacted with more are not always more popular, with subject content affecting this relationship. In addition, high view counts associated with fewer likes, dislikes and comments per view, suggesting that indicators of popularity may not attract new viewers. The most popular categories with survey respondents were slightly different, partly reflecting their educational background (e.g., Education videos), and there were some (stereotypical) gender differences in the most popular categories. Respondents rarely believed that they were influenced by a video’s popularity or evidence of other users’ reactions to it when deciding to watch the video. Instead, they were most likely to be influenced by content-related factors, such as a video’s title and thumbnail picture. Despite previous research showing that people can be influenced by the opinions and watching habits of others, respondents claimed to be little influenced by this. Nevertheless, they frequently reported watching videos posted to Facebook, possibly trusting the person that posted the video. Thus, despite extensive discussion of various forms of viral information spreading, content, rather than popularity, is king in YouTube, although online word-of-mouth sharing through trusted relationships is also important. The main limitations of this research are that the data used may not be representative of YouTube and all UK YouTube users overall, so the conclusions should be interpreted cautiously