Catalina Iordache
Biographic Data
| ID | 337952 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Catalina Iordache |
| GIVEN NAMES | Catalina |
| FAMILY NAME | Iordache |
| SIGNATURE | IORDACHE C |
| AFFILIATIONS | Vrije Universiteit Brussel |
| ORCID | 0000-0003-4669-5410 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 16 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 35 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 16 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2019 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 3 |
Dubbing wars: Localisation strategies of transnational streaming services for Spanish ‘original’ works
This research investigates the intricate process of localising subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) services on a transnational scale, with a specific focus on the translation of Spanish ‘original’ and ‘exclusive’ works of Netflix and Prime Video. As SVOD companies expand their services internationally, the necessity of adapting to diverse national markets becomes paramount. Language emerges as a pivotal factor in this process: audiovisual works m…
Not That Personal: A Qualitative Study of Personalization Practices on Six European Public Streaming Services
This article presents key findings from a comparative empirical study of content recommendation on the audiovisual streaming services of six European public service media (PSM) organizations. Due to growing competition with international subscription streaming services, the editorial practices of PSM are developing, combining editorial curation with algorithmic recommendations. Contributing to the fields of PSM, platformization and scheduling stu…
Close Contact for Context: Qualitative Methodological Considerations for Assessing Prominence and Discoverability
This article advocates for a “close contact for context” approach as a crucial step before, or in combination with, automated data collection and comparative analyses to assess the prominence and discoverability of European works in video-on-demand (VoD) catalogs. Grounded in media industries research, the method emphasizes the importance of close observation within the dynamic interface environments of VoD services. To this end, we present a set…
Public service algorithms: Balancing the scales between public mission and market pressures at the BBC and VRT
The public service media (PSM) shift to digital-first strategies has generated a rethinking of priorities in content production and distribution. This not only involves the integration of algorithms for the curation of their video-on-demand portals, but also a far-reachingreform at the organisational level. As personalisation through recommender systems is increasingly popularised by commercial streaming services, PSM are faced with a balancing a…
Catching the waves: The case of VRT's digital-first audio strategy
European public service media (PSM) are increasingly embracing strategies that balance digital platform tactics and meeting the public remit. This article addresses how a small market PSM is repositioning itself in a media landscape dominated by global platforms, streaming services and legacy media adopting platformisation strategies. We examine platformisation at the Flemish broadcaster VRT through the lens of its digital audio strategy. The stu…
Interface real estate: Amazon Prime and visibility politics
This paper investigates how Amazon Prime Video's interface design affects content visibility, specifically analysing the prioritisation of Prime-included versus third-party content. Using the Vignette tool on French accounts, we conducted a mixed-methods analysis of homepage structures, including row hierarchies and title heatmaps across multiple user profiles. We find that while Prime Video shares common strategies with other services (e.g. own …
People, personalisation, prominence: A framework for analysing the PSM shift to digital portals and interrogating universality across contexts
In the context of enhanced platformisation, Public Service Media (PSM) are once again forced to rethink the ways in which they achieve core public values. To this end, PSM have been prioritising the development of their own video-on-demand portals. To contribute to ongoing research, we propose a theoretical framework that can be applied by future PSM work, based on the operationalisation of platformisation in PSM policy documents and strategy. We…
The Netflix Original documentary, explained: Global investment patterns in documentary films and series
Subscription video-on-demand services have been increasingly moving away from licencing content to producing their own content. The ‘original’ label is applied to different types of productions for which streaming platforms own exclusive rights, usually worldwide and for specific periods. This has also been part of Netflix’s global strategy to attract new and existing subscribers. Research into the Netflix Original has become particularly relevan…
Piecing the puzzle of VoD offerings: A comparison of eight US and local services in Flanders
The study conducts a catalogue analysis that zooms in on the small market of Flanders (Belgium), and the content strategies of the eight most popular local and US-based players in the market. Through the comparative analysis, we investigate three main directions. First, we analyse the similarities and differences in the catalogue offerings of US and local video-on-demand (VoD) services. Second, we delve into the strategies of local players as the…
Integrating discoverability and prominence in video-on-demand consumption choices. A qualitative user study in Belgium
As video-on-demand services have taken a central position in audiovisual distribution in European markets, over-the-top viewing has become increasingly popular. This shift has heavily impacted consumption patterns and exposure diversity, as they are reshaped by non-linear distribution and technological affordances. This article aims to integrate debates on discoverability and prominence within wider research on video-on-demand consumption. It doe…
The platformization of public service media: A comparative analysis of five BVOD services in Western and Northern Europe
Recent developments in the media industries have signalled the need for public service media (PSM) organizations to reposition themselves in order to reach audiences, and also secure financial sustainability and programming rights. In repositioning themselves, PSM have increasingly embraced some of the core characteristics of platforms by developing a central video-on-demand (VOD) service as portal to PSM services, investing in exclusive content …
Transnationalisation revisited through the Netflix Original: An analysis of investment strategies in Europe
Players in the European market have developed a series of transnational collaborations and practices in the cross-border production and distribution of audio-visual content, media ownership, regulation and audience reception. Transnational subscription video-on-demand platforms have also visibly increased their investments in original content, in their attempt to expand and maintain their international subscriber bases. Among them, Netflix has be…
Netflix in Europe: Four Markets, Four Platforms? A Comparative Analysis of Audio-Visual Offerings and Investment Strategies in Four EU States
In the context of Netflix’s rapid expansion in European markets and its growing investments in original content, this article conducts a comparative case study analysis of Netflix offerings and investment strategies in four European Union countries: Belgium, Romania, Spain, and Sweden. A first aim of the article is to establish the extent to which offerings in these markets confirm or reshape the findings of transnational flow studies on the imba…
The ‘Netflix Original’ and what it means for the production of European television content
The European audiovisual market has unique contextual characteristics that constrain the sustainability and development of audiovisual content. Among other shifts, the rise of global subscription video-on-demand players like Netflix have been reshaping this market. Although Netflix has been investing in Europe, little is known about their actual investment strategies. This study’s goal is to analyse Netflix original investment in European scripte…
From Nordic Noir to Belgian Bright: Shifting TV Drama Production and Distribution in Small Markets: The Case of Flanders
Shifts in audio-visual production, distribution and consumption have increased pressure on broadcasters as main financiers of domestic content in Europe. However, within the context of internationalisation and digitalisation, there are also new opportunities for the export of European content. By taking a close look at the evolution and increasing popularity of Flemish TV drama, this article identifies key explanatory factors for the export of co…
Global media flows: A qualitative review of research methods in audio-visual flow studies
Recent developments in the online distribution and consumption of audio-visual content have brought relevant changes to the transnational flow of content. Thus, the need for a theoretical and methodological rejuvenation of flows research has been signalled. The aim of the present study is to analyse the different flow studies throughout time, following a series of parameters such as research question, methodology and scale of study. This article …
The ‘Netflix Original’ and what it means for the production of European television content
The European audiovisual market has unique contextual characteristics that constrain the sustainability and development of audiovisual content. Among other shifts, the rise of global subscription video-on-demand players like Netflix have been reshaping this market. Although Netflix has been investing in Europe, little is known about their actual investment strategies. This study’s goal is to analyse Netflix original investment in European scripte…
Netflix in Europe: Four Markets, Four Platforms? A Comparative Analysis of Audio-Visual Offerings and Investment Strategies in Four EU States
In the context of Netflix’s rapid expansion in European markets and its growing investments in original content, this article conducts a comparative case study analysis of Netflix offerings and investment strategies in four European Union countries: Belgium, Romania, Spain, and Sweden. A first aim of the article is to establish the extent to which offerings in these markets confirm or reshape the findings of transnational flow studies on the imba…
Piecing the puzzle of VoD offerings: A comparison of eight US and local services in Flanders
The study conducts a catalogue analysis that zooms in on the small market of Flanders (Belgium), and the content strategies of the eight most popular local and US-based players in the market. Through the comparative analysis, we investigate three main directions. First, we analyse the similarities and differences in the catalogue offerings of US and local video-on-demand (VoD) services. Second, we delve into the strategies of local players as the…
People, personalisation, prominence: A framework for analysing the PSM shift to digital portals and interrogating universality across contexts
In the context of enhanced platformisation, Public Service Media (PSM) are once again forced to rethink the ways in which they achieve core public values. To this end, PSM have been prioritising the development of their own video-on-demand portals. To contribute to ongoing research, we propose a theoretical framework that can be applied by future PSM work, based on the operationalisation of platformisation in PSM policy documents and strategy. We…
Public service algorithms: Balancing the scales between public mission and market pressures at the BBC and VRT
The public service media (PSM) shift to digital-first strategies has generated a rethinking of priorities in content production and distribution. This not only involves the integration of algorithms for the curation of their video-on-demand portals, but also a far-reachingreform at the organisational level. As personalisation through recommender systems is increasingly popularised by commercial streaming services, PSM are faced with a balancing a…
Integrating discoverability and prominence in video-on-demand consumption choices. A qualitative user study in Belgium
As video-on-demand services have taken a central position in audiovisual distribution in European markets, over-the-top viewing has become increasingly popular. This shift has heavily impacted consumption patterns and exposure diversity, as they are reshaped by non-linear distribution and technological affordances. This article aims to integrate debates on discoverability and prominence within wider research on video-on-demand consumption. It doe…
Global media flows: A qualitative review of research methods in audio-visual flow studies
Recent developments in the online distribution and consumption of audio-visual content have brought relevant changes to the transnational flow of content. Thus, the need for a theoretical and methodological rejuvenation of flows research has been signalled. The aim of the present study is to analyse the different flow studies throughout time, following a series of parameters such as research question, methodology and scale of study. This article …
From Nordic Noir to Belgian Bright: Shifting TV Drama Production and Distribution in Small Markets: The Case of Flanders
Shifts in audio-visual production, distribution and consumption have increased pressure on broadcasters as main financiers of domestic content in Europe. However, within the context of internationalisation and digitalisation, there are also new opportunities for the export of European content. By taking a close look at the evolution and increasing popularity of Flemish TV drama, this article identifies key explanatory factors for the export of co…
Netflix in Europe: Four Markets, Four Platforms? A Comparative Analysis of Audio-Visual Offerings and Investment Strategies in Four EU States
In the context of Netflix’s rapid expansion in European markets and its growing investments in original content, this article conducts a comparative case study analysis of Netflix offerings and investment strategies in four European Union countries: Belgium, Romania, Spain, and Sweden. A first aim of the article is to establish the extent to which offerings in these markets confirm or reshape the findings of transnational flow studies on the imba…
The ‘Netflix Original’ and what it means for the production of European television content
The European audiovisual market has unique contextual characteristics that constrain the sustainability and development of audiovisual content. Among other shifts, the rise of global subscription video-on-demand players like Netflix have been reshaping this market. Although Netflix has been investing in Europe, little is known about their actual investment strategies. This study’s goal is to analyse Netflix original investment in European scripte…
Transnationalisation revisited through the Netflix Original: An analysis of investment strategies in Europe
Players in the European market have developed a series of transnational collaborations and practices in the cross-border production and distribution of audio-visual content, media ownership, regulation and audience reception. Transnational subscription video-on-demand platforms have also visibly increased their investments in original content, in their attempt to expand and maintain their international subscriber bases. Among them, Netflix has be…
The Netflix Original documentary, explained: Global investment patterns in documentary films and series
Subscription video-on-demand services have been increasingly moving away from licencing content to producing their own content. The ‘original’ label is applied to different types of productions for which streaming platforms own exclusive rights, usually worldwide and for specific periods. This has also been part of Netflix’s global strategy to attract new and existing subscribers. Research into the Netflix Original has become particularly relevan…
Piecing the puzzle of VoD offerings: A comparison of eight US and local services in Flanders
The study conducts a catalogue analysis that zooms in on the small market of Flanders (Belgium), and the content strategies of the eight most popular local and US-based players in the market. Through the comparative analysis, we investigate three main directions. First, we analyse the similarities and differences in the catalogue offerings of US and local video-on-demand (VoD) services. Second, we delve into the strategies of local players as the…
Integrating discoverability and prominence in video-on-demand consumption choices. A qualitative user study in Belgium
As video-on-demand services have taken a central position in audiovisual distribution in European markets, over-the-top viewing has become increasingly popular. This shift has heavily impacted consumption patterns and exposure diversity, as they are reshaped by non-linear distribution and technological affordances. This article aims to integrate debates on discoverability and prominence within wider research on video-on-demand consumption. It doe…
The platformization of public service media: A comparative analysis of five BVOD services in Western and Northern Europe
Recent developments in the media industries have signalled the need for public service media (PSM) organizations to reposition themselves in order to reach audiences, and also secure financial sustainability and programming rights. In repositioning themselves, PSM have increasingly embraced some of the core characteristics of platforms by developing a central video-on-demand (VOD) service as portal to PSM services, investing in exclusive content …
People, personalisation, prominence: A framework for analysing the PSM shift to digital portals and interrogating universality across contexts
In the context of enhanced platformisation, Public Service Media (PSM) are once again forced to rethink the ways in which they achieve core public values. To this end, PSM have been prioritising the development of their own video-on-demand portals. To contribute to ongoing research, we propose a theoretical framework that can be applied by future PSM work, based on the operationalisation of platformisation in PSM policy documents and strategy. We…
Close Contact for Context: Qualitative Methodological Considerations for Assessing Prominence and Discoverability
This article advocates for a “close contact for context” approach as a crucial step before, or in combination with, automated data collection and comparative analyses to assess the prominence and discoverability of European works in video-on-demand (VoD) catalogs. Grounded in media industries research, the method emphasizes the importance of close observation within the dynamic interface environments of VoD services. To this end, we present a set…
Public service algorithms: Balancing the scales between public mission and market pressures at the BBC and VRT
The public service media (PSM) shift to digital-first strategies has generated a rethinking of priorities in content production and distribution. This not only involves the integration of algorithms for the curation of their video-on-demand portals, but also a far-reachingreform at the organisational level. As personalisation through recommender systems is increasingly popularised by commercial streaming services, PSM are faced with a balancing a…
Catching the waves: The case of VRT's digital-first audio strategy
European public service media (PSM) are increasingly embracing strategies that balance digital platform tactics and meeting the public remit. This article addresses how a small market PSM is repositioning itself in a media landscape dominated by global platforms, streaming services and legacy media adopting platformisation strategies. We examine platformisation at the Flemish broadcaster VRT through the lens of its digital audio strategy. The stu…
Interface real estate: Amazon Prime and visibility politics
This paper investigates how Amazon Prime Video's interface design affects content visibility, specifically analysing the prioritisation of Prime-included versus third-party content. Using the Vignette tool on French accounts, we conducted a mixed-methods analysis of homepage structures, including row hierarchies and title heatmaps across multiple user profiles. We find that while Prime Video shares common strategies with other services (e.g. own …
Dubbing wars: Localisation strategies of transnational streaming services for Spanish ‘original’ works
This research investigates the intricate process of localising subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) services on a transnational scale, with a specific focus on the translation of Spanish ‘original’ and ‘exclusive’ works of Netflix and Prime Video. As SVOD companies expand their services internationally, the necessity of adapting to diverse national markets becomes paramount. Language emerges as a pivotal factor in this process: audiovisual works m…
Not That Personal: A Qualitative Study of Personalization Practices on Six European Public Streaming Services
This article presents key findings from a comparative empirical study of content recommendation on the audiovisual streaming services of six European public service media (PSM) organizations. Due to growing competition with international subscription streaming services, the editorial practices of PSM are developing, combining editorial curation with algorithmic recommendations. Contributing to the fields of PSM, platformization and scheduling stu…
Business (11 works) · Computer Science (9 works) · Political science (9 works) · Sociology (9 works) · Media Studies and Communication (7 works) · Geography (6 works) · Cultural Industries and Urban Development (5 works) · Qualitative research (5 works) · Advertising (4 works) · Context (archaeology (4 works)