The news: Netflix wins November streaming war as its stock rises by 2.6 percent to its highest point since August 2018.
We ask: Wasn’t November meant to be Netflix’s most difficult month?
Overview: This is what Netflix has faced so far this month.
- Apple TV+ launched on November 5th
- Friends and The Office leave to HBO Max
- Disney+ launched November 12
- Netflix is getting sued for discrimination
- Disney+ has Netflix in its sights
None of it mattered to Netflix
It looked like Disney and Co. would pick apart Netflix. The excitement for Disney’s new streaming service was overwhelming and its 10 million subscribers on Day 1 proved the hype was real.
What happened: This is why Netflix won November.
- Disney+ has launch day outages
- Netflix sign Benioff and Weiss
- Disney+ hacking issues
- Netflix’s Beverly Hills Cop announcement
- Disney meddling with classics
- The Crown released
- The Irishman is coming
Reality: Disney+ needs Hulu to be relevant for adults. Fans picking up the service for Marvel and Star Wars are left with content they’ve seen already and very little more.
Disney+ stuck for kids
Compelling reason: The Mandalorian is Disney+’s only compelling new exclusive, and it’s impressing with high critical and audience reviews. Whether this show can keep people subscribed beyond the first month is a big question, as there isn’t anything else original coming soon to the service.
Latest development: The latest interview with HBO’s CEO makes Netflix’s position as the streaming No. 1 even safer.
“We’re basically unbundling to rebundle” and “At some point, there will be platforms that re-aggregate and rebuild. … We’d like [HBO Max] ultimately to be a place where re-aggregation occurs.”
John Stankey, HBO CEO
HBO, Apple, and Disney are looking to bundle services to maximize sign-ups as the cost of cord-cutting continues to rise with these new services.
Conclusion: I’ve said it already: Disney+ appears to be ideal for babysitters. As a service user, I’ve been massively underwhelmed to this point, so not the best start.
Until Disney+ can come up with more originals, it’ll pale in comparison to other services. Netflix invested a lot in content, and they took big losses in the short term. However, right now, it’s presenting a better customer experience.
I can comfortably say that if this was a war, Netflix wins November’s battle.
If The Irishman is the hit it’s expected to be after its Wednesday streaming release, then Netflix should rack up plenty of awards season wins, too.