Why thinking globally matters now, even if your film feels local

If you’re making a film in Kentucky, why should you care what audiences in Spain are watching?

It might sound like a stretch. After all, you’re raising money locally, working with your community, maybe shooting in familiar streets or houses. Your story might feel deeply specific, something only your town or your culture could produce. Even broader, you may think only USA.

But streamers are global. Buyers are global. Audiences are global. And the people who decide whether to fund, acquire, or promote your project aren’t just asking, “Will this work in the US?” They’re asking, “Will this travel?”

That’s why it’s worth paying attention to reports like Film i Väst’s “Streaming Evolution: Navigating Three Years of SVOD Trends”, a deep dive into how audiences in Europe (the UK, France, Germany, Spain, and Italy) have been watching films and series from 2022 to 2024.

Even if you’re making the smallest microbudget feature in the US, what’s happening in these European markets matters to you. Because what you’re really doing isn’t just making a film for your backyard, you’re making a piece of content for a marketplace where “local” and “global” are now completely intertwined.

Your microbudget may not end up on a streaming platform, but I am sure you are thinking YouTube and YouTube is just about as global as you can get.

Streaming isn’t replacing cinema, it’s redefining TV

The report starts with a big-picture shift, platforms aren’t just trying to be the new movie theaters. They’re also reinventing television.

Netflix dominates because of its binge model. Drop a whole season at once, and people burn through it in marathons. That creates volume, more streams per user than any other platform. Disney+, by contrast, leans on the weekly release model, fewer shows, but event driven, tied to big IP like Marvel or Star Wars. Amazon Prime Video goes in a third direction, focusing heavily on films, acquiring blockbusters that drive attention without needing a binge structure.

Why does this matter for filmmakers? Because it shows how different formats create different behaviors. Binge models fuel volume. Weekly releases fuel anticipation. Films act as audience magnets, the hook that gets people through the door.

If you’re making an indie film, you’re in the “magnet” business. Streamers know that films (even smaller ones) bring in new eyeballs. They reach more unique accounts per title than series do. The report’s data shows, on average, a movie reaches 358,000 accounts, about 19,000 more than a show. That means your film, even at a fraction of the cost of a series, has outsized value in discovery.

Again, this is data you can think about, even if you decide to go YouTube or a micro streamer.

Movies vs. Series. Not either/or, but both

Films and series aren’t competitors. They’re complementary.

Series drive retention. They keep subscribers around. They build habits.
Films drive reach. They cast a wider net. They attract new subscribers and test new genres.

Your indie film, if it gets picked up by a streamer, isn’t just “filler” content. It’s part of the subscriber pipeline. It’s a gateway.

The report shows how platforms use this strategically:

• Netflix balances both, with films as audience hooks and series for binge power.

• Disney+ leans harder on series, but films still play a key role in pulling in families.

• Amazon is the most film-heavy, where movies consistently outperform series in unit-level engagement.

So when you pitch your project, remember, you’re not competing with series. You’re feeding a different, equally necessary part of the ecosystem.

Local content. From quota to strategy

One of the most eye opening parts of the report is how European content evolved from being a regulatory obligation to becoming a core strategy.

By EU law, platforms have to dedicate at least 30% of their catalogues to European productions. At first, that was treated as a hurdle, something platforms had to check off. But from 2022 to 2024, that changed. Local content became a competitive advantage.

Netflix led this charge with its mantra of “local stories, global impact.” Think about shows like Money Heist (La Casa de Papel) or Dark, born as local productions, but exported as global hits. Amazon reinforced the trend with big investments in European cinema. Disney+ followed suit with curated acquisitions.

Spain is the standout case. In 2024, 46% of top-viewed titles in Spain were local productions, and those titles didn’t just stay local. Spanish content captured 12% of Italy’s top-viewed titles, 9% in France, and 7% in Germany. That’s huge.

The lesson for US filmmakers? Cultural specificity isn’t a weakness, it’s a strength. Zhao’s Nomadland felt distinctly American but resonated worldwide. Spanish dramas feel rooted in Madrid or Seville, but they travel. If you think globally while telling something authentically local, streamers see value.

Evergreen vs. trendy, what lasts matters

Another fascinating thread in the report is about formats that last versus formats that spike.

Event driven content (a flashy limited series, a buzzy trend) gets big peaks, and then fades. Evergreen content, sitcoms, procedurals, animation, keeps delivering. In the UK, sitcoms had over 8 million views and averaged 30 rewatches per user. In Italy, that loyalty was even more extreme, with a rewatch ratio of 73.

Audiences aren’t just watching once. They’re coming back again and again. That’s gold for platforms.

For indie filmmakers, this raises an important question, are you chasing a moment, or are you building something with longevity? Your small drama might not be “trendy,” but if it’s rewatchable, if it builds emotional loyalty, it can be more valuable than something flashy that burns out in a month.

Global streamers, local strategies

The report also digs into how each platform positions itself in the EU-5:

• Netflix: still the giant, with 74% of total streams in the 2022–24 period.

• Disney+: growing fast, especially in the UK and Italy.

• Amazon: mixed performance, but strong in Germany and Italy, often leaning on film acquisitions.

• Max (HBO): smaller but building presence with original European content.

For US filmmakers, this matters because these strategies don’t stay in Europe. They reflect how streamers are thinking about content globally. If Disney+ sees weekly event shows as sticky in Europe, they’ll double down on that worldwide. If Amazon sees films outperforming in certain regions, that affects their acquisition strategy across the board.

So even if your film is hyper local, you should be asking, where might it fit in these global strategies?

Why this matters beyond Europe

The US market is saturated. Everyone is competing for the same buyers, the same festival slots, the same streamers. But the industry itself isn’t just thinking about the US anymore.

A Netflix exec once said their philosophy is: “We’re trying to make shows that feel local everywhere, not global nowhere.” That applies to films too.

So if you’re a US indie filmmaker, the question isn’t just “Will my film work here?” It’s “Could my film resonate elsewhere?” Could it connect with audiences in France, Spain, Germany, or Italy? Could it add value to a streamer not only as a story but as part of their global content puzzle?

Even if your film feels deeply rooted in your own community, that’s the point. Audiences across the world crave authenticity. The irony is that by going deeper into your local truth, you might actually make something more exportable.

Why should a filmmaker in Kentucky care what audiences in Spain are watching?

Because Spain isn’t just Spain anymore. Neither is Germany. Neither is the US. These are all interconnected markets in a global streaming economy.

Film i Väst’s report shows us that streamers are thinking holistically, films and series as complements, local content as global drivers, evergreen formats as long-term anchors. The question is whether filmmakers are thinking the same way.

Your local indie might feel small, but if you build it with an eye toward resonance, if you understand how global audiences are engaging with content, you put yourself in the position not just to make a film, but to make a film that travels.

And in today’s marketplace, that’s everything.