The online video streaming industry is becoming crowded, with new entrants getting in on the action almost on a daily basis. The entertainment industry has realised that the future of entertainment consumption will be digital. While some of the new entrants are backed by entertainment giants (such as traditional network TV stations), there are currently four streaming services enjoying the lion’s share of the market.
Netflix
Netflix started its online streaming service in 2007. It has leveraged this early start to become the most popular streaming service in the world. It operates in hundreds of markets all over the globe and spends billions of dollars every single year to develop original programming. Apart from TV shows and documentaries, Netflix has an impressive selection of movies in its catalogue which cannot be matched by any of its other competitors.
Hulu
Hulu can be considered as Netflix’s biggest rival in terms of subscriber count – for the moment. Now controlled mainly by the Disney Corporation, it features a very rich library of classic TV shows. It lags behind its competitors in terms of developing its own original programming.
Amazon Prime Video
Although it is usually considered an extension of the Amazon Prime service, Prime Video is a significant player in the streaming industry in its own right. It is working hard to rival Netflix in terms of developing original programming, with several critically acclaimed series and movies being produced in the past few years. Its affiliation with Amazon immediately makes it available to hundreds of millions of potential clients.
Disney +
While the Disney + service has been in the market for a shorter period, in comparison with other entries in this article, it is leveraging Disney’s wealth to aggressively grow its market share. Disney is home to multiple wildly popular franchises such as Marvel, Star Wars and Pixar. All these franchises have series based on them either already released or in production.