How have streaming services changed the way we consume media?
By: Alli Schoultz
In recent years there has been a transition from media transitioning to streaming platforms. As the world transitioned out of DVDs and broadcast television, there has been a huge growth in the popularity of platforms that are creating content for more niche audiences. Netflix was the first big streaming network to start transitioning to making their own content and focusing their audience in certain areas in order to be able to compete with actual networks like HBO. They made a huge jump with the purchase of the House of Cards virtually changing the landscape of our media forever.
This would alter the climate and allow these streaming services to start creating their own monopolies on niche markets. With the transition, the people’s choice in media did not necessarily change. With the influx of new shows, people were enjoying the new content however many people subscribed to these services in order to watch old favorites like ‘friends’ and ‘the office’. For a long period, Netflix was able to dominate the industry due to the fact that they made key choices in what consumers would want. Network channels started to realize that these streaming services were profiting off of their shows, even if the rights had been sold. To start getting their power back companies like Disney and NBC started taking their media off of these platforms in order to create their own platforms. They started to understand that people would subscribe to a service just for their content. From here large broadcasting companies started to develop their own streaming services in order to try to compete with large streaming companies. A notable one of these is NBC’s development of Peacock that now features the large shows of the Office and Friends. Peacock also includes all sports content that NBC owns the rights to allowing for this network to appeal to a wide variety of people. Disney did the same by adding NCAA basketball to the Disney+ program.
This change in the way we steam has allowed us to consume at higher levels than before. Especially given the stay-at-home situations of Covid 19 people have been consuming a larger amount of media than ever before. There is access to so much material that old generations would not be able to fathom and this continues to grow. Originally only broadcasting networks or premium channels used to produce their own content. However, as these networks start to retrieve their content, Netflix and Hulu started to use their resources to create their own shows. This has breathed a new life into these streaming platforms allowing them to compete with the large TV networks. Some of these shows created by streaming services have even gone on to win Emmy’s and compete in that same realm. As a new development in these sources of media occurs we continue to see the industry adapting. Media is a very profitable industry and forces companies to develop with it or they will be left behind. A famous example of this is blockbuster who was once popular for its DVD rentals. In comparison to this Netflix also used to be known for their DVD rentals, however, they have evolved in order to transition with the world today.