VoD platforms and prominence: a European regulatory approach

Abstract

In a scenario of abundance of digital contents audiovisual works need to be easily discovered to be consumed. Prominence, therefore, becomes essential. In Europe the idea of giving prominence became key to address how works can be promoted after the adoption of the Audiovisual Media Services Directive in 2007. In light of the amendment of this norm, this paper provides an overview of the regulation regarding prominence of VoD services at the EU level. The aim is to analyse its transposition into national provisions to identify different approaches and characterize them according to their implications for the general interest. It is concluded that to guarantee and justify that certain contents are easy to discover by citizens in an overwhelming digital world, the formulation of principles-based rules can be an appropriate solution.