Introduction: The Digital Convergence Challenge in Hollywood’s Second Century

The global media entertainment industry has changed dramatically in the last decade, shaped by the acceleration of the changes ushered in by digital convergence on multiple levels. In particular, the rise of streaming and social media platforms has irreversibly changed the content of the industry, the conduits, its business models and have introduced new players successfully emerging from the digital revolution, which have also become media companies. These disruptive changes are altering the dynamics of the competitive landscape and the modus operandi of the major players, defining new competitive advantages. This chapter introduces the analysis of the volume, providing its theoretical framework and methodology, and its organization. It situates the book within an evolving body of scholarly conversations shedding light on the evolution of the media industry, on the rebound after the covid-19 pandemic and deeply impacted by evolving digital technology, which has redefined the contours and boundaries of the competitive landscape.