With NBCUniversal’s Peacock having launched last week, yet another streaming service has entered the battle to convince subscribers to part with a monthly fee, with the latest combatant arriving little more than a month after HBO Max joined the fray. Quibi might have turned out to be an unmitigated disaster, but both Peacock and HBO Max boast an impressive library of content for brand new platforms.
That being said, every service will struggle to come close to Netflix‘s market domination, with the company having over 100 million more customers than their closest competitors at Amazon. Of course, it helps that they were the game’s first major players, but they’ve backed it up by investing huge sums of money into creating star-studded original projects that have reaped massive rewards.
Having recently revealed their Top 10 most-watched original movies, it isn’t exactly a coincidence that nine of them have been released since the start of last year, with the increased competition forcing Netflix to step up their game.
In a recent interview, co-CEO Reed Hastings admitted that their strategy is a simple one, and for every hit that you’ll find on the likes of Amazon, Disney Plus or HBO Max, you’ll be able to find at least two on Netflix.
“We want to have so many hits that when you come to Netflix, you can just go from hit to hit to hit and never have to think about any of those other services. We want to be like your primary, your best friend, the one you turn to. And of course, occasionally, there’s Hamilton and you’re going to go to someone else’s service for an extraordinary film. But for the most part, we want to be the one that just always pleases you with the convenience, simple and easy choice.”
With many other streaming services still trying to build their library of in-house originals, Netflix already have a huge head start in terms of content. HBO Max might have the Snyder Cut of Justice League and the expansion of the DCEU, while Disney Plus are hanging their hopes on Star Wars and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but that still won’t be enough.
After all, Netflix look set to continue their domination over the next year with the returns of heavy hitters The Witcher and Stranger Things, along with huge movies like Dwayne Johnson’s Red Notice, David Fincher’s Mank and Zack Snyder’s Army of the Dead to ensure they keep their seat at the head of the table.