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Video streaming: the battle for content intensifies

It's an upheaval in the landscape of video streaming, subscription-based online video on demand. Disney launches this Tuesday, November 12, 2019 its own offer to compete with Netflix, the leader of the sector. Launched first in the United States and Canada, then in Australia and New Zealand, before exporting to Europe next spring.

This striking arrival of Mickey Mouse's group confirms it: the battle between the platforms will be played on the contents, their quality and their originality.

This battle is already underway, as fierce as the most epic fights in Game of Thrones . It gains in intensity with the arrival of Disney in the landscape because Disney is the catalog dreamed to attract the attention of the spectators.

The strength of the Disney studio are 500 films. The "classics" of course, Pixar productions as well, and the whole universe of Marvel and Star Wars , as well as thousands of episodes of series including the Simpson .

Some continue to be broadcast by Netflix until the end of December under an agreement with Disney. But now, finished playing: no more prisoners!

Will Disney only rest on his catalog ?

This is Disney's main weapon, and nostalgia is a powerful marketing argument. But Disney has also announced original productions inspired by the worlds it has absorbed over the years.

Star Wars fans are eagerly awaiting The Mandalorian , by successful director Jon Favreau.

He is the one who has given Disney its year-round success, The Lion King , and that allows the group to invest a lot in the future. The Disney CEO announced that within 5 years, $ 24 billion will be injected to produce new content.

Nine original films are expected by 2024 and Disney has secured wide distribution through agreements with Amazon, Apple, Samsung, Microsoft, LG and Google.

The firm with big ears wants to reach 60 to 90 million subscribers in the world by 2024, half less than Netflix.

And Netflix, what is he doing to fight back ?

It's been a few years since Netflix had felt the wind turn, that the studios would not provide it forever their productions as Disney did so far.

By 2013, the streaming giant had launched the hit series House of Cards on the backstage of power in the United States, without forgetting Stranger Things and La Casa de Papel , of course.

To continue to successfully target the target of young adults, Netflix promises billions of dollars in investment. He has just teamed up exclusively with a former Disney, Shonda Rhimes, who suddenly becomes the "showrunner" (word difficult to translate in French which designates the person in charge of the scenarios of a series) the best paid at world.

And the battle will be even fiercer with the entry of new actors next spring

In addition to Disney +, Apple TV +, entered the market at the beginning of the month. Two heavyweights are still expected in April and May: HBO Max, WarnerMedia and Peacock from NBC Universal. Everyone plays with their own assets. Apple and its huge war chest amassed with the sale of its devices can offer new original content to a loyal customer, see soon pay his own studio.

HBO Max and Peacock have a repertoire provided and a strong presence on the American network, where they will also focus on the dissemination of sport, a lever of growth still under-exploited.

Great uncertainty : how will the spectators react to this offer that is expanding?

They will probably ask a lot of questions. In the United States, Disney is proposing to subscribe to its new platform for less than $ 7 - 13 if we pair it with the offers of Hulu and ESPN +, which also belong to it. Apple, he offers his offer less than 5 dollars. Even if the content is poorer at the moment, it's still much cheaper than a Netflix subscription.

For the first time in eight years, Netflix has lost subscribers in the United States. In question, an increase in tariffs. Will the spectators let go of the platform?

By relinquishing the broadcasting rights of timeless series like Friends or The Office , the pioneer of platforms has put itself in difficulty. It has also given itself the financial resources to bounce back and give itself a chance to keep its 160 million subscribers.

To follow, then.