Netflix, which has been enjoying the status of being the biggest streaming service in the world, will face tough competition, come November. Netflix stayed ahead of many key rivals like Amazon Prime Video and Hulu, since its inception in 2010. However, with giants like Apple and Disney entering the streaming market, the streaming war is expected to enter a new phase by 2020.
Tech giant Apple announced its own streaming platform called Apple+. Apple+ will be made available from November 1st, 2019 in over 100 countries, with a minimal fee of $ 4.99. With the promise of bringing fresh and original content, Apple is investing quite a lot of money in Apple+.
Similarly, Disney is also planning to launch its own streaming service on November 12th, 2019. The streaming service will be available initially in the U.S., Canada, and the Netherlands, prior to its introduction to the rest of the world. With its enormous list of popular movies and series like Star Wars and Pirates of the Carribean, the Disney streaming service is expected to give tough competition to others. With a subscription fee of $ 6.99, Disney is planning to offer every Disney and Pixar animated movie within the first year of its launch.
Moreover, Netflix is also facing competition from other streaming services like A&T’s WarnerMedia, which is planning to launch HBO Max in early 2020. A&T also reclaimed the streaming rights of popular show Friends from Netflix.
With popular shows and movies leaving the platform, Netflix is also facing difficulty in acquiring actors, directors and producers in order to keep the audience interested.
Despite facing such stiff competition, Netflix remained unfazed, with its CEO Reed Hastings stating, “Disney will be a great competitor.” With so many new competitors entering the market in 2020, it will be interesting to see which online streaming service remains at the top.