Recycling as ‘IP extractivism’ in the age of platformization: A comparative analysis of Netflix, Amazon Prime video, and Disney+

Streamers have become central to the production, circulation, and consumption of audiovisual content, reshaping how cultural industries manage creative risk and exploit intellectual property (IP). I argue that, within this platformized environment, content recycling – including (re-)adaptations, remakes, sequels, spin-offs, and prequels – has emerged not as a residual practice, but as a core operational logic. The article interrogates how recycling practices are structurally embedded within the economic and infrastructural design of global video-on-demand (VOD) services. Building on an interdisciplinary theoretical framework, the study draws on a comparative, cross-platform dataset covering all ‘Original’ fictional feature films released by Netflix (2015–2024), Amazon Prime Video (2018–2024), and Disney+ (2019–2024). Through this dataset, the article identifies both convergence and variation in how major streamers operationalize recycled content as a form of ‘IP extractivism’ – that is, the systematic transformation of existing IP into modular, extensible, and data-optimized content assets. The analysis indicates that, while all three streamers rely heavily on recycled content, the forms this recycling takes vary in ways that align with their different corporate configurations. In the dataset, Netflix’s Original film slate is dominated by speculative, adaptation-driven recycling, Amazon Prime Video’s by a mix of acquisitions and selective franchise extensions, and Disney + by patterns consistent with an integrated, conglomerate IP portfolio. The article argues that, under conditions of platformization, recycled IP functions as a privileged asset class: its modularity, data legibility, and retention potential align closely with logics of algorithmic governance and assetization. Conceptualizing recycling as IP extractivism, the article reconsiders originality as controlled variation within pre-enclosed worlds and highlights the implications of this shift for cultural diversity, rights ownership, and the sustainability of smaller production ecosystems.