La produzione senza distribuzione: il caso Mobcaster

Abstract

This article centers on the case of Mobcaster, a website for crowdfunding TV shows. The platform sets itself as a “television without television”: it allows the audience to choose which series deserve a full-season order (an to fund it) and it also grants producers 100% creative and economic control over their products. The first distribution channel is Mobcaster TV, but founder Aubrey Levy also aims to a wider distribution, possibly including network television. However, this target raises issues concernig the compatibility of two different business models: on the one hand, we have completely independent productions. On the other, the oligopolistic network system. Focusing on this opposition, the paper analyses critical elements such as entry barriers, access to ditribution channels and target audience differences. Ultimately, it discusses the over-the-top distribution model, finding it more suitable for the needs of Mobcaster.