Embarking on a digital frontier exploration, our project delves into the evolving world of audiovisual streaming platforms across the Middle East and North Africa. Launched in 2021, we aim to dismantle disciplinary and cultural barriers, weaving an international network of researchers.

Our journal’s primary mission is to break down disciplinary and cultural barriers by disseminating information on workshops and scientific events, while promoting a rich array of multilingual bibliographic references. Launched in 2021 with support from MSH Paris Nord, our network is dedicated to an ambitious exploration of audiovisual streaming platforms in the Middle East and North Africa.

This collective journey began as an exploratory research endeavor to illuminate the emerging landscape of OTT platforms in a region celebrated for its complexity and cultural diversity. Despite their richness, these territories have been somewhat overlooked by scientific studies on cultural industries in the digital age, a gap we aim to fill.

Our investigation delves into the implementation and growth strategies employed by various industrial players, examining both international platforms like Netflix and Amazon, and local or regional initiatives like Watch It and Shahid. We also probe what “regional” versus “international or global” means in this specific context.

Our pursuit is guided by dual objectives: initiating exploratory research to capture the distinct national nuances within the region and forging an international consortium of scholars. By bringing together diverse academic disciplines and methodologies, we aim for a comprehensive understanding of the significant economic, political, and social ramifications these streaming platforms entail.

The dialogue within our group navigates through pivotal concepts including “adaptation,” “glocalization,” and “media conversion,” addressing the multifaceted impact of platformization on the audiovisual sector. Our research spans several critical areas:

• The structural evolutions within the industry and the spectrum of responses from traditional production entities to digital shifts.
• The exploration of new horizons for content creators in the region, spotlighting the dual challenge of achieving international presence while navigating local constraints.
• Navigating the regulatory landscapes shaping the sector’s future.
• Delving into audience behaviors and the content selection conundrum in an era of content abundance and platform proliferation.
• The intricate dynamics of “informal access,” a phenomenon institutionalized in various regional contexts, occasionally with local endorsement.