With over 200 million paying subscribers worldwide, Netflix continues to dominate the video streaming market.
But in the face of him, resistance is organized.
The sector has changed enormously in the space of a year, with the arrival of Disney +, Peacock, Paramount + and even HBO Max on the American market.
If Netflix managed to attract 32 million more customers in 2020, its rival Disney + has recruited nearly 100 million subscribers over the same period.
The other platforms are also seeing triple-digit growth in their subscriber bases.
So of course, Netflix is already well established, but the streaming giant still has great potential for international growth.
But beyond the competition, several reasons explain the stagnation of the service.
Quantity above all
Netflix offers more than 100 new movies, documentaries or unreleased series produced exclusively for the platform every month. There is supposed to be something for everyone, from Brazilian telenovelas to cooking shows. The recipe is simple: if you want to keep subscribers in your nets, you have to offer them an endless stream of new content that justifies their subscription.
And where the platform initially targeted an audience of cinephiles, it has considerably revised its brand image to now appeal to a wider audience. Series like
Narcos
or
Stranger Things
have gradually given way to culinary shows and reality shows. Netflix also relies heavily on a very young audience with series like
You
,
3%
,
Sex Education
or
Riverdale
.
The platform tries to please 18-30 year olds at all costs and does not hesitate to invest heavily in programs intended for them.
Recently, it announced a new record investment in the production of Japanese animated series.
It also offers more and more adaptations of series video games.
But quality rarely follows.
Indirectly, this desire to target a younger audience affects the quality of the programs.
There is no longer any question of producing a
Beasts of no Nation today
.
New programs produced by Netflix must be able to be watched by everyone - with the possible exception of the few films destined for the Cannes and Sundance selections.
In search of the Grail
In the space of just one year, Disney managed to do what took more than six long years of hard work for Netflix: break the 100 million subscribers milestone. Despite the abundance of exclusive content on its platform, Netflix struggles to stand up to its (young) rival. The reason is simple: the streaming platform does not have big licenses. Disney + can rely on cult franchises like
Star Wars
, Marvel or all Pixar productions. Just one of these names is enough to collect millions of subscribers. The cinema giant has understood this well and has also chosen to invest heavily in content derived from its large licenses. Since the start of this year, three Marvel series have landed on the streaming platform.
Netflix was satisfied with a single and timid acquisition to strengthen its catalog, that of Millarworld, the company of a famous American comic book author. The first adaptation project,
Jupiter's Legacy
, however suffered such a flop that the streaming platform chose to cancel the series just days after the airing of its first season. Netflix has never been able to find its
Game of Thrones
, THE series that would bring tens of millions of new subscribers to its platform. There have certainly been a few attempts, arguably the most notable being the adaptation of
The Witcher
- but the quality was not there. Without the acquisition of a cinema major, the platform will have to be content to dig into literary works and video games to try to find the license that will allow it to take off.
Opposite, competitors do not hesitate to spend pharaonic sums to develop their catalog of licenses.
Amazon recently raised $ 8.45 billion to buy out MGM.
The e-commerce giant has also been preparing for months a new series with very big budget in the universe of the
Lord of the Rings
.
Warner Bros. is spoiled for choice for its HBO Max platform with licenses like
Harry Potter
,
Batman
,
Mad Max
or
King Kong
, which could, on their own, put the streaming platform into orbit.
An overpriced offer
In the past three years, Netflix has twice increased the prices of its subscriptions. The basic formula remains very accessible at 7.99 euros / month, but it only gives the right to access in SD. To enjoy programs in 4K, you have to pay 15.99 euros, a price two to three times higher than that of competing services.
Two years ago, Netflix only had two real competitors: Hulu, which was only installed in the United States, and Amazon Prime Video, which was rather complementary to Netflix's offer. But everything changed with the arrival of Disney +, which now has nearly 110 million subscribers worldwide. The enormous success of Disney + has only accelerated the deployment of rival platforms, with the arrival of HBO Max, Peacock and Paramount +. To stand out, each has its own specificity. Disney is betting on the popularity of its biggest franchises, HBO Max offers access to blockbusters that have just been released in theaters, Peacock signs exclusives with major film companies and Paramount + seems to be betting on big exclusives, including the big budget game-based series
Halo
.
The landscape has changed completely.
Consumers don't know where to turn either.
And suddenly 5 or 10 euros more per month, the monthly bill for subscriptions skyrockets.
If for the moment, most of these platforms are only accessible in the United States, they will inevitably end up being deployed internationally.
And quite logically, more and more consumers will cancel a subscription when they take out another subscription.
This is called “subscription fatigue” in the jargon.
More and more analysts are saying it: Netflix must change its economic model and offer a free formula including advertising cuts and / or review its entire commercial offer.
The exodus of classics
For years, Netflix was considered the one and only video streaming platform on the market. The American company began to offer exclusive productions very early on, while relying on an extensive catalog of films rented to local distributors. It contained a bit of everything:
Star Wars
, Marvel movies, romantic comedies, iconic sci-fi movies, like
Alien
or
Terminator
and much more. Netflix was like the neighborhood video library.
The arrival of new players changed everything. While Netflix continues to occasionally offer movies that are rented from a local distributor, there is less and less content there that is not Netflix Originals. Logical, since Disney has recovered the rights to its
Star Wars
and Marvel
films
and the other players are also betting on their properties to attract new customers.
The boredom, that if the platform does not lack content, moviegoers no longer necessarily find their happiness there.
Netflix is no longer the gigantic catalog of films of yesteryear.
Today we find mainly series and small TV movies.
Some licenses have also disappeared completely.
Today's Netflix is much closer to a cable channel than an alternative to video-on-demand platforms.
A company that wants to stay cool at all costs
Against all odds, Netflix continues to offer its content to the channel.
All episodes of a new season of a series are available on the platform at the same time.
The culture of binge-watching is deeply rooted at Netflix.
On social networks, Netflix also stands out from its competitors by its brand image. The company seeks at all costs to be cool, it adopts a very young communication and does not hesitate to take very clear positions on various themes, even if it means getting angry with some of its subscribers. It is not uncommon to see the community manager of the platform get confused with a follower.
In its programming also, Netflix no longer hesitates to play the card of provocation.
Even if it means, once again, to attract the wrath of certain communities.
In 2020, the film
Mignonnes
was accused of sexualizing children.
A huge debate had followed its posting on the platform.
The poster of the film had also caused a nice uproar.
Netflix responded by apologizing on social media.
“We are deeply sorry for the image we chose for
Mignonnes / Cuties
.
It was neither fair nor representative of this French film which won an award at the Sundance festival.
We have updated our images and description, ”the platform said on Twitter.
Culture
"The Witcher": A Release Date and Trailer for Season 2 of the Netflix Series
High-Tech
Disney + shows insolent growth with 100 million subscribers on the counter
Culture
Series
Netflix
HBO
Movie
High-Tech
Marvel
Amazon Prime Video
Disney +
Streaming
Star wars