Streaming has become the norm for movie fans everywhere. Instead of paying for an overpriced ticket or candy and sitting in a stuffy theater, people can now watch a large catalog of movies and TV shows right from their couch for a monthly subscription. This has vastly changed the way movies are advertised and how they are consumed. However, now there is a competition to stream.
Netflix began in 1999 as a DVD service that offered subscriptions. In 2006 they started to allow online streaming, forever revolutionizing the way movies are shared. The rise of Netflix was received as a knell for DVD stores everywhere and chains like Blockbuster. There was also concern for many movie theaters and prior to COVID-19 some theaters managed to stay financially afloat. Blockbuster was not so lucky, filing for bankruptcy and closing down chains everywhere. In 2013, Netflix released House of Cards, its first official series. Now Netflix has released many series influential in pop culture.
Netflix’s massive success might have indirectly or directly inspired Hulu, which launched in 2008. Hulu brought the unique experience of streaming TV shows the public. In 2010 Hulu released Hulu plus, this new subscription provided new episodes of TV shows the day after they aired, bringing the streaming service to the fore front of TV consumption. Now audiences could miss their favorite show on cable and still see it within 24 hours.
Disney+ was the most recent major streaming service to be released. Disney+ was unique because it launched with many platform exclusive titles. Releasing in 2019, the service streamed many old Disney movies and TV shows, along with numerous Pixar, Marvel, Twentieth Century Fox and Lucasfilm titles. For Disney, this move to a streaming service came about at the same point that Hollywood corporations like HBO and Paramount were also creating their own streaming services.
What has happened due to the influx of streaming services being available from different corporations is that corporations such as Disney are trying to ensure they make more profit from their content, while other corporations like Netflix and Hulu are trying to make more original content to sell. Now there are many popular series, movies and documentaries that are produced by Netflix and Hulu that are debatably more popular than many feature films put out by major studios.
Although it is impossible to know what the future will hold for streaming services, it is a safe bet to make that there will be harsher competition in the coming years as companies try to create their best content.
