Sources — what Lens reads to write.
Public bibliography for both LIVE reports. Research firms cited by name, named reporting with dates, public documents (10-K, prospectuses, regulatory decisions), multilateral data (World Bank, GSMA, UN DESA). Everything that goes into a Lens figure is cited by name.
Ludovic BostralVertical Invasion 2026 — top sources by usage.
Sources ranked by number of datapoints referencing them in report v4.6.0 + continuous Streaming Radar tracking.
- Real Reel (50 datapoints)
- Chinese micro-drama industry newsletter. Dated scoops, named sources. Monitored continuously since 2024.
- Business Insider, Wall Street Journal, Variety, Deadline, Caixin Global
- Named reporting — every citation carries the journalist, the date, the permanent link. No "according to press."
- SocialPeta (et SocialPeta+AMO Pictures via Business of Apps)
- Mobile ad tracking data — 2025–2026 reports purchased with cited edition.
- Meta Newsroom, BuzzFeed, NextHooks, El Español / Bluper
- Official Meta press releases + dated and cited secondary reporting.
- Short Drama Forum (mars 2026)
- Micro-drama industry conference — field notes, on-site interviews.
- Signal/Benedetti editorial note
- Direct editorial notes between operators and Lens — off the record by default, published with agreement.
- Black Executive Brief
- Industry briefing specialized in Afro-descendant content and diaspora vertical drama.
Full report bibliography (~120 distinct sources) in the methodological annex of the licensed report.
Africa Streaming 2026 — top sources by usage.
- Regulatory body compilation (40 datapoints)
- Compilation of regulatory decisions — Competition Commission South Africa, Moroccan competition authority, Nigerian and Kenyan regulators. Dated public sources.
- Multiple (Annex N, 32 datapoints)
- Multi-source triangulation for market-size figures — full detail in annex N of the report.
- Variety, Deadline, Wall Street Journal
- Named reporting — same policy as Vertical Invasion. Dates and permanent links in the report prose.
- Mordor Intelligence, Global Market Insights, Statista
- Research firms — 2025–2026 editions purchased and cited by name with publication date.
- Orange – Plan stratégique « Trust the Future » (février 2026)
- Strategic plan published by Orange covering 2026–2030. Contains confirmation of the Africa streaming strategic center in Casablanca.
- Marodi.tv official site
- Senegalese platform — product data retrieved directly.
- DataReportal, Author model [E], Author analysis, Author compilation
- Models and analyses produced by Ludovic Bostral for this report, often triangulated against third-party sources.
- House of Faith
- Christian streaming platform operating in Africa — public product data.
Full report bibliography (~150 distinct sources, including all public data from World Bank Global Findex, GSMA Mobile Economy, UN DESA, African Development Bank) in the methodological annex of the licensed report.
What Lens never uses.
No scraping behind paywalls. No NDA data published (derived conclusions yes, raw data never). No "industry estimates" without explicit method. No Wikipedia as a primary source (used only to trace back to the primary source it cites). No commissioned reports undisclosed as such.
Self-generated sources (Lens models).
Figures labeled Author model [E], Author analysis, Author compilation, or Streaming Lens are produced by triangulation of third-party sources + field analysis. The method is documented per figure in the report; the global methodology lives at /methodology.
How to cite Lens.
To cite a Lens figure in a publication, report, or deck: report name, version, page/annex, consultation date. Example: "Lens, Vertical Invasion 2026 v4.6.0, annex A, consulted September 2026." For press, citation with hyperlink is free — a copy of the publication is appreciated at ludovic@streaming-radar.com.
A source is missing?
If you see a Lens figure without a source, or with a source that seems weak, write to me. ludovic@streaming-radar.com. Reply within 72h. If you're right, the source is added or replaced, and you're credited.