Abstract
This article argues that while all the major SVOD platforms utilize strategies that centre on franchises, there are important distinctions to be made between the precise forms that those strategies take and that these distinctions can be traced back to the business models of the platforms themselves and the corporate contexts in which they find themselves. In order to make this argument, the article identifies two categories of SVOD platforms, one of which is made up of platforms based within legacy media conglomerates (e.g. Disney+, HBO Max, etc.), and one which is made up of platforms that are part of technology companies (e.g. Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, etc.).