In my talk, I will focus on the spatial dynamics and development of the MOOC providers from a macro-perspective. Based on a multi-level conception of spatial dynamics and a panel data set (2011-2017), I will show that the “MOOC market” is – other than initially hoped and expected – not a fully open digital higher education landscape but instead has expanded worldwide driven to a large extent by national higher education strategies. It thus has a nested two-level spatial structure both on a global scale and within many national higher education systems. The results should provide a fruitful starting point for discussing the relationship between digitalization and local institutional embedding of higher education.