From digital originals to skip ahead: online content and web series policy rationales in Australia

Web series are short – meaning shorter than television – narrative, episodic series distributed via online and social media platforms. Despite originally being a medium heralded for its independence from legacy media and public institutions, web series have increasingly become a more institutionalised form supported within publicly funded film and television production ecosystems in various countries worldwide, including Australia. This raises questions about the policy rationales justifying government support for scripted web series. Using Australia as a case study, what objectives does the federal screen agency, Screen Australia, aim to achieve by funding web series? What do these policies reveal about current support for online content and digital formats in Australia more broadly? And how do these objectives compare with the rationales driving film and television policy? The study offers an improved understanding of why and how governments support scripted online series and the evolution of online policy alongside broader film and television policies. I analyse institutional policies, funding programs and rationales for web series funding evident in national policy documents, funding announcements and media statements between 2012 and 2024. Insights are also drawn from an interview with Screen Australia's Head of Online Content between 2021 and 2025. The article argues that, in contrast to economic and cultural policy objectives behind public support for film and television production, Screen Australia's online content policy is deliberately developmental and principally focused on generating social value and contributing to industry sustainability through long-term talent development rather than immediate economic returns or employment gains.