THE FRANCHISE ERA: Managing Media in the Digital Economy

A collection of essays that examine the management strategies of franchises across multiple media As Hollywood shifts towards the digital era, the role of the media franchise has become more prominent. This edited collection, from a range of international scholars, argues that the franchise is now an integral element of American media culture. As such, the collection explores the production, distribution and marketing of franchises as a historical form of media-making – analysing the complex industrial practice of managing franchises across interconnected online platforms. Examining how traditional media incumbents like studios and networks have responded to the rise of new entrants from the technology sector (such as Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix and Google), the authors take a critical look at the way new and old industrial logics collide in an increasingly fragmented and consolidated mediascape. Case studies include: The Alien franchise Critters franchise and New Line Cinema Disney theme parks Nintendo Classic Edition mini-consoles Star Wars franchise Ghost in the Shell franchise How to Train Your Dragon franchise and DreamWorks Animation Black-ish, Parks and Recreation, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe NBC’s SeeSo streaming service Numerous mobile apps tied to Japanese media franchises (e.g. Love Live! School Idol Festival; Final Fantasy Record Keeper; Dragon Ball Z: Dokkan Battle) Multiple esports franchises and their relation to video game franchises (e.g. League of Legends; Overwatch) Multiple virtual reality media franchise extensions (e.g. Interstellar: Oculus Experience; The Martian VR Experience; Alien: Descent).