It started with netflix. They had a huge advantage, netflix was very early. But are they going to win…?
So how many streaming services are there (NL):
- Netflix
- Viaplay
- Videoland
- Amazon Prime
- Pathe thuis
- Disney +
- Apple TV+
- Discovery plus
- Cinetree
- Youtube movies en shows
- Cinemember
- Film 1
- HBO Max
- Hayu
- NLZiet
- NPO plus
- Kijk
- Google play
- Eye film
- Mubi
- StarzPlay
So the Dutch have 21 choices…….. I’m not even going to try chose….customer insanity at its best. The question is; who is going to win? Easy, the one with the best content and the most money. My best guess, there will be 4 or 5 at most in 5 – 10 years. The essence is the licensing game. Netflix is obviously going to get cut-off or has to pay enormous fees for popular tv shows.
Conglomerates like Disney, Apple, Amazon and HBO Max have the deepest pockets and most content to begin with.
Too give an example: Disney has an budget for new content of $9,000,000,000,00 on Disney plus alone. For their other platforms they are going to spend $16,000,000,000,00 (page 95) The annual report shows it has around 73 million subscribers in 2020.
The Company’s significant International Channels and the number of subscribers (in millions) based on internal management reports as of September 2020 are as follows:”
So too close, it is going to be an expensive game, who has the best content and who has the deepest pockets. Yes, Disney and HBO Max are very late to the game in relation to Netflix. Remember Disney and HBO Max have A lot of content and a lot of money, a certain infrastructure and brand. If they succeed, Netflix is going to be acquired. In the Netherlands we will have in the end 2 of 3 big streaming services and the NPO (taxmoney funded; 920 million euros).