With dizzying amounts of content available, the problem viewers face is choosing what to consume.

This means a platform’s success goes beyond content production and requires the curation and delivery of personalised content to their users.

Many, like Netflix and YouTube, have taken the data-driven approach, leveraging artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms that customise content based on each viewer’s preferences.

Welcome to the Matrix

Every time you choose to play, pause, fast forward or rewind, Netflix is gathering data about your preferences.

All this information determines things like the layout of your homepage and the shows that are recommended to you. The personalisation is incredibly detailed, right down to customised thumbnails that deliver the same show to different users.

The more you interact with the platform, the better it gets at predicting what you are likely to enjoy. This is how Netflix has been able to influence about 80 per cent of what people end up streaming.