Forget the Streaming Wars -- Pandemic-Stricken 2020 Lifted Netflix and Others (wsj.com) 6
The past 12 months were billed as the year when a flood of new entrants would force streaming services to wage an all-out war for subscribers. Instead, incumbents and rookies alike feasted on a base of shut-in customers eager for more things to watch. From a report: The largest streaming services finished 2020 with combined U.S. subscriber numbers more than 50% higher than a year ago, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis of data from market-research firms MoffettNathanson and HarrisX. They enjoyed a captive audience. The coronavirus pandemic triggered lockdowns that sent millions of Americans home, leaving many people with more time to watch movies and shows from the couch. The virus also prompted movie theaters to shut down and sports leagues to go on hiatus for months, further boosting streaming services' appeal. "Instead of a streaming war, there's been streaming coexistence and parallel growth," said Dritan Nesho, HarrisX's chief executive. New services such as Walt Disney's Disney+ grew rapidly without necessarily harming established players such as Netflix and Hulu, he said. "Disney+ did not displace existing services," Mr. Nesho said. "It complemented them."
paywalled link (Score:3)
Do I really have to spend $37 a month to read slashdot stories?
Re: (Score:1)
The past 12 months were billed as the year when a flood of new entrants would force streaming services to wage an all-out war for subscribers. Instead, incumbents and rookies alike feasted on a base of shut-in customers eager for more things to watch.
should now read
The past 12 months were paywalled as the year when a flood of new entrails would force steaming Ferengi to wage an all-out war for self-sealing stem bolts. Instead, incumbents and rooskies alike were elected on a base of normie customers eager for more things to gripe about.
Hey, it's still a more coherent string of words than Miss Mash can put together!
Re: (Score:2)
Naturally not! This is Slashdot: the amount you have to read depends on how long you have been here. I would have expected you to have graduated to reading at most the title by now...
This isn't a good thing (Score:2)
I mean, at least not the way I thought streaming services would be when they became a thing.
At one point they were an alternative to cable. A cheaper alternative with quirks. Such as being able to watch what you want, when you want... provided they had what you want.
Now since Disney for example requires their content to be streamed on their service instead of taking royalties from another such as netflix, a guy might have to sunscribe to 3 separate streaming services and install 3 separate apps to have co
Re: This isn't a good thing (Score:2)
Kind of like buying premium cable and adding in hbo, the sports package, the movie network etc.
That is what they are hoping for, I think.
And during the pandemic when people are stuck at home, buying in to each walled garden is viable, at least for 2-3 services, sometimes more.
Prices are relatively low, but most people are not buying a la cart. Maybe I want Marvel from Disney, Picard from CBS, Joker from HBO, and Lucifer from Netflix. Amazon is the closest to selling that, but each platform is keeping their exclusives under lock and key.
I suspect when living returns to normal people will drop their su
Conspiracy by the Streaming Services (Score:2)