Is The Golden Age Of Streaming Content Officially Over?

For a while, it seemed as if streaming platforms would offer consumers more choices and a better value than the cable system. After all, we could pick and choose which services to use instead of being stuck with the largely one-size-fits-all model that defined much of the TV era.

But as the media landscape gets more crowded and confusing, some insiders say content streaming in general appears to be stuck in an inescapable downward spiral.

A disastrous week

There have been rumblings of discontent for a while. More ads, less content, and higher prices made some couch potatoes long for the days of scrolling through cable channels.

Nevertheless, most of us continued to put up with an imperfect system in order to meet our small-screen needs. But even the lowest expectations might not be met after the events of recent days.

If you haven’t been paying much attention, here are a few of the recent developments:

• HBO Max rebranded as just “Max” and users experienced some hardcore glitches.
• Netflix began cracking down on password sharing among subscribers.
• Hulu and Disney+ joined forces, and tons of content evaporated in the process.

Sure, there are still plenty of shows and movies to watch, but consumers are starting to wonder if they’re actually getting their money’s worth.

Changing the gameplan

At first, companies like Netflix and Hulu seemed to be OK with losing tons of money each year if they continued to add subscribers. At a certain point, however, there’s unbearable pressure to turn a profit. And as more competition enters the marketplace, it’s harder than ever for any streaming platform to gain an edge.

As analyst Sarah Henschel explained: “We’re seeing a lot of these services face maturity, whereas over the past 10 years it’s kind of been the Wild West.”

Chris Agee May 27th, 2023

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