The Value of Binging in Streaming Serials. The Rise of the Third Golden Age of Television
The Value of Binging in Streaming Serials. The Rise of the Third Golden Age of Television

Summary/Abstract: The text explores the development of television, from broadcasting, through cable television, to streaming, identifying streaming as the culmination of television’s third golden age. The author analyzes the economic and technological models of content distribution and their impact on the way series are consumed. A key theme is the comparison of streaming series to books, which allow content to be consumed at any pace and in any order. Particular importance is given to the practice of “binge-watching,” as a form of consumption that best meets human cognitive and narrative needs. The text explores the tension between viewer preferences and the strategies of streaming platforms, which often revert to the episodic model for economic reasons. In conclusion, streaming is shown to be the most flexible medium, best suited to diverse ways of consuming audiovisual content.

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