I’ve seen this one before
Consumers are also falling out of love with an increasingly crowded streaming market. Not too long ago, the streaming landscape was simple and cost-effective. Amazon Prime came with its speedy delivery bonus, Netflix had a lot of what you wanted to watch, and Disney+ offered good value at $6.99 — less than the cost of a tub of popcorn at most movie theaters.
But the market has become fragmented. Companies have retreated behind their content walls — sharing nothing with other distributors. With prices on the rise and the introduction of advertising to try and re-invigorate growth, streaming services are starting to resemble the traditional cable industry that they once disrupted.
The golden age of all-you-can-eat entertainment for less than $20 a month is dead, and it has been for a while. And, with the strike action showing no signs of slowing down, content is unlikely to come any cheaper in future if writers, actors and producers get what they believe is their fair share of your monthly subscription. Netflix’s crackdown on password sharing, and its introduction of an ad-tier, are the early signs of things to come, as the industry matures and content deals get renegotiated.
Bundle, unbundle, rebundle
Indeed, it’s not hard to imagine a world in which the joke goes full circle — with some hot new company negotiating deals with everyone and offering bundled access to all of your favorite streaming services for, let's say $50-100 a month. They might even offer live content that you have to tune in for at a specific time, to create a sense of community with other viewers. In sport, that’s already happening, with Amazon, Apple and others picking up deals to stream live games.
As a whole, the entertainment industry is at a crossroads, and not just in TV and film — the music industry is at a similar juncture. Who really holds the keys to the kingdom? It used to be the cable companies and radio stations — the distributors. The internet changed that. Now, with the problem of distribution somewhat “solved” the tides seem to be shifting, gently, towards the actual artists, makers and actors. But, when billions are at stake, transitions of power are rarely orderly.
