ksi - industry Flashcards
how has ksi’s production and budget evolved?
KSI has moved from zero-budget videos made
in his bedroom, to massive on-line sporting
events (his fight with Joe Weller had more
viewers than the 2017 FA Cup Final).
how has he achieved success in the US market?
by making content that is
internationally resonant. his super
confidence/arrogance appeals to many
young men, and then his ability to actually do
what could be considered macho is seen by his
fans as inspiring (and achievable).
also through collabs and companies with US creators such as Logan Paul (Prime) and Mr Beast (Lunchly)
what model does jj achieve? and how?
by using a global platform like YouTube, but
cultivating a distinct young, Black British
voice, KSI achieves the model of ‘make local,
distribute global’
what else extends jj’s reach and audience?
- his ‘beefs’ with prominent American Youtubers
also extends all the participants’ reach and
notoriety and has further aided his success in
the US. The fight with Logan Paul especially
cemented this reputation. - KSI’s recent album also features famous US
artists like Lil Wayne
economic influence on media industries - what has JJ been blunt about?
in interviews, JJ has been blunt about his materialist values. his content has always been designed to get hits on YouTube and he
has produced whatever is on-trend in order
to capitalize on and, through sponsorships,
monetize this.
how does JJ use his music/boxing to benefit his economic status?
his boxing and music careers are used as a strategy to generate more sponsorships and sell his own merchandise. his website is completely devoted to these income streams.
how else does he draw in more revenue?
- he formed the Misfits Boxing Company to organise further fights.
- he is also the director of Nemedis, a video production company that runs the pay-per-view streaming for the boxing matches since 2018.
hesmondhalgh & jj - how does he subvert this theory?
- one of Hesmondhalgh’s key ideas is that
the radical potential of the internet has been
limited by the domination of large cultural
institutions (which are increasingly indivisible
for technology giants like Google, Apple and
Amazon) - KSI’s career refutes this idea. all of his content
is produced independently, with no limitations
imposed by large cultural institutions. - his ownership of a video production company
and streaming platform also illustrates his
independence from the usual ‘gatekeeping’ and
limitations on creativity.
however who does he rely on? regulation?
relies on YouTube to distribute his content - the world’s largest video streaming site has much looser regulations regarding content than traditional broadcast TV stations.
how has recent technological change impacted media production, distribution and circulation?
- traditionally, media industries have been
dominated by large companies - producers and
commissioning editors act as ‘gatekeepers’,
deciding what they think audiences will like, and
what will be profitable (usually from advertising
and sponsorship). - ‘prosumers’ (a consumer who produces)
challenged this hierarchy by making low or nobudget content, free from creative limitations, and using video streaming sites to distribute it. Influencers like KSI have also adopted the sponsorship model as a way to generate revenue
but have bypassed the big media institutions.
