While the debate rages on regarding which platform has won the streaming wars - whether it be Netflix, Disney+, HBO Max, or any one of the seemingly unlimited numbers of streaming services - there is one clear loser: the viewers. It doesn't take a business genius to realize that the once novel concept that was popularized by Netflix has grown into an almost overwhelming array of media corporations attempting to get their piece of the pie. The streaming wars are still raging on, with services appearing, merging, and disappearing at an almost incomprehensible rate, but the biggest fatality in this battle for subscriptions is the customer experience.
The list of streaming services is endless, ranging from all-encoming platforms like HBO Max to niche genre-specific offerings like Shudder. While it seems like it now takes a guide to navigate the streaming service landscape, the idea actually started as a way to improve the experience of the viewer. In the era of Blockbuster movie rentals and cable television, Netflix appeared on the scene, offering on-demand and in-demand TV shows and movies. Netflix was the sole major service in this wild west of streaming, but as other companies realized the potential profits, this quickly changed. Instead of a company licensing out their content to Netflix or Hulu, recently media companies have begun to create their own streaming services, which is where the problems began. Platforms like Dinsey+, Paramount+, and Discovery+ began subtracting their content from these popular streaming services in favor of exclusively streaming them on in-house services. While this makes business sense, it only hurts the customer by recreating the issues that Netflix was meant to solve.
Nowadays, a customer may have to TV and movies: HBO Max. Up until recently, that is.
Is HBO Max Starting The End Of Streaming?
For a while, HBO Max was the best of the best, but recent actions after the Warner Bros. Discovery merger may be signaling the end of streaming. Nearly finished products like HBO Max original shows have been thrown into question, which combined with the aforementioned problems could completely alienate consumers from the market. Unless Warner Discovery makes some serious moves soon, HBO Max's fall could be what finally pops the streaming bubble.
Are Any Streaming Platforms Still Worth It?
While there are a large number of streaming platforms out there, many of the most prominent ones have major problems. Netflix, the grandfather of all streaming services, seems to be barely hanging on. The platform is bleeding subscribers, and its response has been to cancel highly-anticipated shows and invest in failing movies and reality TV. Amazon Prime has an identity crisis, with its originals ranging wildly in quality, and many of its movies and TV shows being behind extra paywalls. Hulu has good TV with its FX selection, but it offers less original content than its competitors, lost a lot of its kids programming to HBO Max, and Hulu has a far worse selection of movies than other platforms. Disney+ has a great backlog, but its adult offerings are slim, and there is hardly any variety in its original shows and movies. In an attempt to appeal to wide audiences, these services have failed to fully satisfy any of them, causing many consumers to lose interest in the biggest streaming platforms. While inconsistency and little focus is the problem with many of these, some platforms have remedied this issue, with some smaller streaming services actually being worth it.
Consumers of niche platforms like Shudder and The Criterion Channel remain happy with these services' small but quality offerings, as these companies cater exactly to their viewers' tastes. Surprisingly, Apple TV+ has been hitting it out of the park, with original series like streaming wars aren't just limited to paid streaming services, though. Hoopla and Kanopy are both free streaming services that can be accessed through local libraries and universities in some countries, and they offer a ton of movies and TV shows. These platforms are absolutely worth it, as they can be completely free to many s. So, while the world's biggest streaming services may be actively hurting the consumer experience, it is possible to still find quality streaming content if you look hard enough.