Hey, Streaming Platforms, Where Have All The Movies Gone?

With bundles and channels and ad breaks galore, it’s clear that the era of streaming content isn’t so much disrupting the cable TV model but replacing it with something that shares many of its traits.

And while an investment in big-budget movies represented one way that streamers like Netflix could differentiate themselves from traditional television, that doesn’t even seem to be the case anymore.

Tracking the trends

For its part, Netflix started out sending DVDs (mostly of movies) through the mail. And “flix” is right there in the name, so it seems only natural that the service would specialize in films. Then there’s HBO, Warner Bros., and Disney, each of which operate their own streaming platforms with a massive trove of movies in their respective vaults.

And more than a few hit movies have premiered on streamers in recent years, but it’s clear that the current trajectory is shifting away from movies and into short-form content like sports, series, and even shorts.

Consider these facts:

• New seasons of “House of the Dragon” and “The Last of Us” are dominating the buzz on Max.
• Disney+ kids’ show “Bluey” got three times more minutes viewed last year than the platform’s most-watched movie.
• Movies like “Legally Blonde,” “Tomb Raider,” and “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” are all being turned into series.

They’re being “upfront”

Each year, the entertainment industry showcases its biggest news during the so-called upfronts, using the opportunity primarily to sell ads during their programs. And it was apparent that movies were taking a backseat to almost every other type of content.

Adding more wrinkles to the industry was the inclusion of YouTube, which relies on creators outside of the industry (and increasingly the use of AI) to attract viewers and, in the process, challenge Hollywood’s status quo.

Chris Agee May 18th, 2024

Share this story: