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Streaming Wars - News thread
This past decade we've seen a boom in terms of the amount of streaming services available and competing for eyeballs, while there's more competition (along with investment in big budget shows) it has become somewhat confusing as to which ones you should sign up to.
What appears to be emerging, however, is a group referred to as the "big 6" who have recently stood high above the rest and have began to consolidate their position by taking over and absorbing content from smaller competitors.
Neflix (221.8m) - The original subscription streaming service, the one that started it all, they seem to be slowing down a lot of late, in developed markets they're starting to reach saturation and in developing markets their brand is on a level playing field with the new competitors. They're relying more on new originals as licensed content dries up, this is expensive and driving up prices isn't helping. It'll be interesting to see how much longer they can stay on top.
Disney (178.9m) - Their combined suite of services (Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+) puts them at number 2, depending on which country you're in their offering will differ greatly, combining Disney & "STAR" content is working well for them in Europe and India, meanwhile content is split between Disney+ and Hulu in the US, will the rumoured merging of Hulu into Disney+ see them overtake Netflix, or is there too much of a subscriber overlap?
Amazon Prime Video (175m) - Unclear of how many of their subscribers actually watch their video content, as with Netflix they're well established by now, are losing licenced content and are having to invest heavily in originals.
HBO Max (73.8m) - The longest running TV subscription service, their jump to streaming was always going to be successful. They've experienced the fastest growth this year, especially due to the pandemic and Warner's entire 2021 movie slate being available day one. A combination of this summer's merger with Discovery (potentially resulting in Discovery+ content making it's way over to Max) and a global rollout completing in 2026 (including the UK) they are in a great spot to challenge for number one place.
Paramount+ (48m) - Another big name movie studio combined with a "+" suffix, they combine content from Paramount Studios, CBS, Nickelodeon and MTV, they're bound to attract older viewers with their long running franchises, but I doubt they're going to topple Netflix any day now.
Apple TV+ (20m) - The world's most valuable company, they seem to be going down the HBO route by slowly providing premium content, albeit a few decades behind. They've certainly got the money behind them, but passing up the opportunity to buy MGM (who eventually went to Amazon) means that their offering is still pretty threadbare. If they're going to emerge as number one, it's going to be a very long process.
For those who love data and trends, the below might offer clues as to what positions these services will end up in...
What appears to be emerging, however, is a group referred to as the "big 6" who have recently stood high above the rest and have began to consolidate their position by taking over and absorbing content from smaller competitors.
Neflix (221.8m) - The original subscription streaming service, the one that started it all, they seem to be slowing down a lot of late, in developed markets they're starting to reach saturation and in developing markets their brand is on a level playing field with the new competitors. They're relying more on new originals as licensed content dries up, this is expensive and driving up prices isn't helping. It'll be interesting to see how much longer they can stay on top.
Disney (178.9m) - Their combined suite of services (Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+) puts them at number 2, depending on which country you're in their offering will differ greatly, combining Disney & "STAR" content is working well for them in Europe and India, meanwhile content is split between Disney+ and Hulu in the US, will the rumoured merging of Hulu into Disney+ see them overtake Netflix, or is there too much of a subscriber overlap?
Amazon Prime Video (175m) - Unclear of how many of their subscribers actually watch their video content, as with Netflix they're well established by now, are losing licenced content and are having to invest heavily in originals.
HBO Max (73.8m) - The longest running TV subscription service, their jump to streaming was always going to be successful. They've experienced the fastest growth this year, especially due to the pandemic and Warner's entire 2021 movie slate being available day one. A combination of this summer's merger with Discovery (potentially resulting in Discovery+ content making it's way over to Max) and a global rollout completing in 2026 (including the UK) they are in a great spot to challenge for number one place.
Paramount+ (48m) - Another big name movie studio combined with a "+" suffix, they combine content from Paramount Studios, CBS, Nickelodeon and MTV, they're bound to attract older viewers with their long running franchises, but I doubt they're going to topple Netflix any day now.
Apple TV+ (20m) - The world's most valuable company, they seem to be going down the HBO route by slowly providing premium content, albeit a few decades behind. They've certainly got the money behind them, but passing up the opportunity to buy MGM (who eventually went to Amazon) means that their offering is still pretty threadbare. If they're going to emerge as number one, it's going to be a very long process.
For those who love data and trends, the below might offer clues as to what positions these services will end up in...
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Comments
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2022/jan/24/netflix-could-lose-750000-uk-subscribers-as-disney-takes-control-of-hit-shows
https://variety.com/2022/tv/global/disney-plus-42-country-launch-europe-africa-west-asia-1235163724/
Atm for me Disney+ is most watched especially with the Star stuff now too.
Imo the thing with likes of FOX, NBC etc they are too quick to pull the cancel trigger.
CW are one i've not forgiven for cancelling The Secret circle on a huge cliffhanger.
Disney in the US might grow by merging with Hulu.
Amazon has ad supported IMDB
ViacomCBS also has ad supported Pluto and My5
Comcast NBC Universal has launched Peacock to keep up and has also reclaimed some of it's programme rights from Netflix. Has 54m users of it's
Its as supported service, of which 29m pay. But has made a big startup loss. In the UK is free to Sky and Now subscribers.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/masonbissada/2021/10/28/who-is-winning-the-streaming-wars-peacock-shows-losses-in-q3/
quote="gother;c-100360017"]
Imo the thing with likes of FOX, NBC etc they are too quick to pull the cancel trigger.
CW are one i've not forgiven for cancelling The Secret circle on a huge cliffhanger.[/quote]
If a streaming service can build a large income with a large number of subscribers they are more likely to finance extra seasons, which on a linear station might be cancelled if viewers drop.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-60125013
For the US, figures show that 46% of homes with broadband subscribe to four or more video streaming services. While in the UK, one study found 65% of homes subscribe to two or more of the providers."
Also in the US a lot subscribe to cable linear stations, which may explain why the UK has taken to Netflix, plus either Amazon Prime or Disney+.
The streaming services have one month contracts. Interesting Sky Q and Talktalk have 18 month Netflix bundles
Seems about right, I believe in the USA during its peak two thirds of households had cable subscriptions, so households ditching cable have opted to have 4 or 5 streaming services instead.
I've subscribed to Netflix, Prime and Disney+ since their respective launches and I get a NOW entertainment pass every now and again. I'll likely add HBO Max to this list once it launces in the UK in 2026.
Haven't bought a TV licence for my current property, may get one so I can legitimately watch the World Cup this winter at home, but once that year is up I'll cancel again.
I’ve set up a spreadsheet with all my subs inc TV, music etc & I’m stopping all the annual ones as they fall due. Plan is to get down to just Amazon Prime & Eurosport as permanent, then roll through all the rest on a month-to-month basis depending on watching a block of shows at a time. I guess eventually even dropping Virgin TV & just broadband only.
Other advantage to this of course is getting access to one-off deals which Now TV etc have running permanently.
Expensive with the HD "boost" unless you get one of the short term offers?
Not quite
HBO originals release on NOW and will do until December 2025
However all the other stuff on HBO Max such as Warner movies, DC, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Studio Ghibli, TCM, Looney Tunes, Sesame Workshop etc isn't on NOW.
Wonder if they’ll be doing that with other new series and will that entice people to sign up the ATV+.
https://youtu.be/P07_FHcRNEU
https://www.broadbandtvnews.com/2022/01/30/amazon-prime-video-overtakes-netflix-in-germany/
For our house Netflix offers a better variety and far more originals.
We ditched apple and amazon. We only got apple tv because my daughters new phone came with 12 months free sub, we never watched it as between now tv, our smart tv and virgin media there was no app to watch it and amazon, anytime we went to watch a movie we had to pay extra for it so got rid once the football was finished.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10495523/Disney-stock-jumps-8-company-adds-12-million-new-streaming-service-subscribers.html