TV entertainment goes on demand: Amazon, Netflix, Apple strategies

Global streaming giants Amazon, Netflix, and Apple are now producing original entertainment programs for on-demand viewing, leveraging detailed user profiling instead of traditional statistical ratings like Nielsen and Auditel. Amazon's Prime Video hired Jeremy Clarkson for 'The Grand Tour,' a car show similar to his BBC hit 'Top Gear' but with fewer celebrity guests and lower spectacle. Netflix launched 'Ultimate Beastmaster,' a global obstacle competition produced by Sylvester Stallone, with six localized versions per episode for different countries, including Italy. Apple produced two shows: 'Planet of the Apps,' a talent contest for app developers judged by Gwyneth Paltrow, Jessica Alba, a rapper, and an entrepreneur; and 'Carpool Karaoke,' a short-format sing-along show in Los Angeles. These early on-demand programs surprisingly target a male audience, opposite to traditional TV, and are conceived for global distribution but mostly produced in the United States, reflecting soft power dynamics.