Algorithms as a Cage and Creative Freedom: How Streaming Platforms Reshape the Power Landscape of the Film and Television Industry

DOI

10.2991/978-2-38476-432-7_58How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Streaming platforms; Algorithmic technology; Power structure; Creative freedom; Film and television industry

Abstract

The innovation of modern information technology and algorithmic technology has driven the creation of new forms and models of content production. Streaming platforms have leveraged algorithmic technology to restructure the power dynamics within the film and television industry, creating an “algorithmic cage” effect that has a profound impact on creative freedom and content production models. The traditional dominance of creators in the film and television production system is gradually being ceded to platform algorithms and data-driven decision-making, leading to issues such as content homogenization and blurred creative boundaries. Taking Netflix and iQiyi as case studies, this paper analyzes how algorithmic recommendation mechanisms, user data analysis, and capital operations reshape the industry’s power landscape. It also explores the challenges and potential solutions for creative freedom under the backdrop of technological monopolies. The study finds that while streaming platforms optimize content distribution efficiency through algorithms, they also increase creators’ dependence on platforms and compress the space for artistic expression. Therefore, it is necessary to establish algorithmic transparency mechanisms, improve the rights protection system for creators, and balance technological empowerment with creative autonomy through policy guidance to achieve sustainable development in the film and television industry.

Copyright

© 2025 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Rui Zhang
PY  - 2025
DA  - 2025/06/22
TI  - Algorithms as a Cage and Creative Freedom: How Streaming Platforms Reshape the Power Landscape of the Film and Television Industry
BT  - Proceedings of the 2025 4th International Conference on Social Sciences and Humanities and Arts (SSHA 2025)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 496
EP  - 502
SN  - 2352-5398
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-38476-432-7_58
DO  - 10.2991/978-2-38476-432-7_58
ID  - Zhang2025
ER  -