Franceschini's Netflix of culture? MiBACT is apparently negotiating with Chili

The much-publicized “Netflix of culture,” on which the Minister of Cultural Heritage Dario Franceschini is betting a lot and which in his intentions should be a platform where one can watch, in streaming, concerts, theater performances, museum visits and whatnot, could be born thanks to Chili, the “Italian Netflix,” a private platform of films and on-demand content based in Milan. This is what the Messaggero leaks, according to which negotiations are underway between Chili and the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities and Tourism in order to give birth to precisely the so-called “Netflix of culture.”

Last November 20, Minister Franceschini, in aninterview with Federico Giannini for Finestre sull’Arte, in fact anticipated that “we are therefore reasoning about an idea, already financed with ten million euros, to create a public digital platform, which we are building with Cassa Depositi e Prestiti but which may also have private partners, that can offer for a fee in Italy and in the world the entire cultural offer of our country.”

The intention is therefore being fulfilled, because according to reports in Il Messaggero, the board of Cassa Depositi e Prestiti has decided this week to set up a newco (i.e., a new company) in which it will hold 51% of the shares against an investment of 9 million euros, while Chili will have 49% by putting another 9 million euros and the expertise to create the product on the table. MiBACT, the director of the operation, will also participate in the project, the Roman daily also points out, with a 10 million euro payment.

In Franceschini’s intentions, the “Netflix of culture,” again quoting from the above-mentioned interview, will be an “integration” that “can give the possibility, even once the health emergency is over, to those who want to stay at home or stay anywhere in the world, to visit a museum or enjoy a film or a play. It is also a great vehicle for promoting our country’s culture.” However, as news leaked out that the MiBACT is negotiating with Chili, a private company, there were many who wondered whether it might not be possible to keep the whole operation within the public perimeter, involving Rai, especially since, in recent weeks, several articles have come out (such as the one in Jacobin last Nov. 17) to reiterate that, in a sense, Italy already has a “Netflix of culture,” and that is the Rai Play platform, which is rich in documentaries and cultural content. And one therefore wonders whether the existing one could not have been improved.

Franceschini's Netflix of culture? MiBACT is apparently negotiating with Chili

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