Access over Attention: How Smaller European Cinemas Navigate Streaming Platforms

Abstract

Small European cinemas face new opportunities and challenges in the streaming era. Global platforms such as Netflix and Amazon Prime extend the potential reach of national films, yet their catalogues are often shaped by market logic and linguistic dominance. This article focuses on two interrelated aspects: the distribution of films from smaller European countries through streaming platforms, and the role of policy and institutional support in sustaining access to audiences.

The analysis is framed by the concept of the attention economy, which emphasises how cultural visibility is determined not only by production but also by the ability to secure space within highly competitive digital platforms. Instead of primary audience surveys, the study draws on secondary sources: reports from the European Audiovisual Observatory, Creative Europe funding data, and examples from smaller markets.

Findings suggest that while streaming platforms offer an expanded geography of access, they rarely guarantee visibility. Films from smaller cinemas are more likely to find durable circulation through hybrid strategies: co-productions supported by European schemes, festival premieres, and partnerships with curated or niche streaming services such as MUBI. Policy frameworks remain crucial in this ecosystem, ensuring that cultural identity and diversity are not subsumed by commercial priorities.

The article concludes that “access over attention” provides a useful way of understanding the resilience of smaller cinemas. Success may no longer lie in attracting mass audiences, but in creating sustainable routes of availability across digital platforms. By highlighting distribution practices and institutional support, this study contributes to ongoing debates about how European cinema can maintain diversity in the shadow of global streaming monopolies.