Cable TV is slowly dying, and entertainment providers are flocking to the streaming service game after Netflix’s innovative and efficient business model took over the market. 

“The streaming service market has gotten so diluted with all these new platforms … It’ll be interesting to see who comes out on top,” said senior Alex Rubin. 

Now how did all this start exactly? Well, the downfall of cable began when Netflix moved from its movie rental service to an online streaming platform. The online streaming service business model immediately disrupted the market, previously dominated by movie rental services like Blockbuster, companies saw significant growth very quickly. This innovation has made cable out-of-date and has forced entertainment and content providers to follow suit. Since then, new service providers have been popping up everywhere, competing for the highest profit.

Each service provider has its respective advantages and disadvantages. With Netflix having the advantage of getting into the game first and building up a massive subscriber base, other providers like Peacock and HBO Max, made by NBC and HBO, respectively, have the significant advantage of purchasing nearly as much content Netflix, as they already have the rights to lots of their own content. To catch up, services like Netflix and Amazon Video that don’t own as much of their own content, have started to develop original content exclusively for the service. 

With all these factors in play, it’s impossible to predict who will eventually end up on top. Will Netflix keep its crown, or will newcomers like Disney+, which only came out two years ago, steal the throne?
I think the winner will be decided by whoever can master the art of creating original content. At this point, this is all that sets the services apart. They all have very similar business models and can all afford to buy others’ content, so whoever comes out on top will likely be the best at making their unique content.

When asked about his favorite streaming platform, senior Dylan Bone said, “HBO Max is pretty fire, it’s the only place I can watch South Park.”