DOMESTIC VIDEO STREAMING SERVICES - CHARACTERISTICS, OFFER AND PERCEPTION OF USERS IN SERBIA

The second half of the past decade was marked by the explosive growth of streaming platforms and services both in Serbia and globally. Numerous foreign services have emerged after Netflix debuted in Serbia in 2016. Simultaneously, a number of local services have also emerged, attempting to take advantage of the benefits of local access and native content. The objectives of this work are to outline the most popular domestic streaming services in Serbia, their unique features, business and communication strategies, and the programs they offer. It also looks at the traits and perspectives of these services’ users with regard to series viewing and domestic streaming in general. A total of 139 customers of domestic streaming services completed a specifically designed questionnaire, which was included in the research done in June and July of 2023. The questionnaire responses were evaluated using quantitative descriptive and comparative statistical methods. The majority of users of domestic streaming services, according to the data, do so primarily because of the services’ affordability and ease of use; the domestic series and movies that these services offer, however, are not as big of a selling point as previously believed. The overall conclusion of the research is that there is a trend toward westernization of tastes and habits that is being influenced by globally dominant streaming services and spreading to domestic audiences and domestic content viewers. This could eventually have a very negative impact on domestic production, streaming, and Serbia’s distinct cultural identity in general. This research fills the gap in understanding the characteristics and preferences of Serbian audiences regarding domestic streaming services, especially in comparison to global competitors like Netflix.