THE RACE TO DOMINATE THE FUTURE OF THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY IS WELL AND TRULY ON! HERE'S HOW.
20 years ago, it seemed like the one channel & one production company dominating our television sets & Hollywood would be destined to be the top dog of the entertainment industry. However, the advent of technology & constant innovation has changed the dynamics drastically. These days, it's all about the streaming service having the most active users.
NOTE; THIS ARTICLE IS US & INDIA CENTRIC SINCE THEY ARE THE MOST LUCRATIVE MARKETS FOR THESE COMPANIES...
So now let's take a look at every major player's niche, growth prospects & future ranking as per market share.
NETFLIX
The pioneer of the streaming service, Netflix is the current market leader in the US in terms of the number of users.
Co-Founder Reed Hastings called Netflix "a global TV network". These phrase is the company's strategy in a nutshell. It aspires to be a service that has quality content from all around the world available in different genres in different languages for a different target audience.
An example of international success is Spain's Money Heist which garnered millions of views outside of Spain.
Netflix also does not have a specific niche or target audience unlike its competitors.
So while other companies like HBO & Disney are US-centric, Netflix has set its vision for world domination.
Another factor in Netflix's favor is the immense amount of data it has. While other companies have just started, Netflix had been in the game since 2007. So Netflix knows what type of content a certain type of people say a middle-aged British woman may like to watch. It also has a top-notch algorithm which has worked wonders in terms of successful recommendation.
2. DISNEY+
Disney+ launched quite recently in November 2019.
However, its brand name & star power has managed to attract millions of users in such a short span of time.
After all, a company having the Marvel Universe, Star Wars, The Simpsons, Pixar, Lucasfilms, National Geographic & most importantly THE Disney is a very lucrative proposition.
Disney also played a masterstroke by collaborating with ESPN in the USA & Hotstar in India, two big live sports streaming giants in their respective markets.
In addition to that, Disney also owns Hulu. It's a TV-centric approach to streaming with a comparatively small subscriber base of 30 million. It's only available in the US so it does not pose much of a threat to Netflix as of yet.
Disney has also announced it will create original content exclusively for this platform as well.
However, if we combine Disney content with live sports, then it's a really attractive proposition. I think they are a more family-friendly niche.
3. HBO MAX
Owned by the Warner Media Company, HBO Max can be a potential gamechanger.
In terms of content, it has all the HBO shows like Friends plus exclusive originals. it also has Game of Thrones, DC Universe, Harry Potter and more.
I think the issue with HBO Max is that apart from a few exceptions, its content is not as popular worldwide as it is in the US.
4. Amazon Prime
The global giant that Amazon is, it has also entered the streaming market in around 2013 to entice new users to join Amazon Prime.
Amazon Prime is a major player in markets like India. It has a huge library of original content rivaled only by Netflix.
A point to note is that apart from Prime Video, Amazon members also have added perks like Amazon photos, kindle, audible & 1-day delivery. Thus Amazon has the complete package due to Bezos' vision.
In addition to that, Amazon will focus on live sports as well. it has already won a contract to stream 12 EPL (football) matches a year.
Be sure to check out my Amazon Series!
5. Apple TV+
Apple has tentatively entered this market through Apple TV+.
For now, it only has around 50+ original movies and series.
Apple has the resources & the brand name to succeed at this.
However, it needs to either get a popular live sport or acquire a famous production company (to access & stream its content) to gain a considerable foothold in this competitive market.
6. Peacock
NBC's peacock is a new entrant in the streaming wars.
However, its USP is that it's completely free! It will instead be an ad-based service.
An add free premium version is available as well.
CONCLUSION
It will be very intriguing to see who comes out on top after a decade or two.
I can confidently and obviously state that the future of the entertainment industry will depend a lot on the outcome of this streaming war.
The biggest loser as of now is Netflix. it has lost its Marvel, Disney & Warner Media Company content.
Disney+ will give Netflix a run for its money. I think with its exquisite content & worldwide fandom, Disney has huge potential.
Sony Pictures & Paramount Production are two huge Hollywood production houses that may be up for sale. Companies like Apple & Amazon will benefit greatly by acquiring & integrating them into their streaming service.
Peacock's ad-based model will fail miserably & die a slow death.
Netflix may still win by virtue of its experience & data.
WRITING THIS WAS GREAT FUN. HOPE YOU ENJOYED AS WELL.
LINK TO THE AMAZON SERIES: https://parshaddesai09.wixsite.com/website/blog/categories/the-amazon-series
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