Key Takeaways

• As per ReelGood, Prime Video (with 6,985) offers the highest number of movies. It's followed by Netflix (with 4,091), and HBO Max (with 2,586).
• Netflix (357), Hulu (282), and Prime Video (219) are the top three platforms with the most high-quality TV shows.
• The top three platforms with the most movies per dollar spent are Prime Video (777), Netflix (264), and Paramount+ (226).
• According to the streaming search engine ReelGood, as of April 11, 2022, the three cheapest video streaming services are Apple TV+ ($4.99 per month), Discover+ ($6.99), and Disney+ ($7.99).
• The three most expensive video streaming services are Netflix with $15.49 for its standard monthly subscription, HBO Max at $14.99, and Hulu with $12.99 per month.

Introduction

Video Streaming Platforms With the Most Content

Top Platforms With the Most Movies and TV Shows (Overall and High-Quality)

• According to the report by ReelGood, Prime Video (with 6,985) offers the highest number of movies. It's followed by Netflix (with 4,091), and HBO Max (with 2,586).

• The top three platforms with the most high-quality movies are HBO Max (with 517), Netflix (with 447), and Prime Video (with 409).
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• The top three platforms with the most TV shows are Netflix with 2,142 shows, Discovery+ with 2,139, and Hulu with 1,575 shows.

• Netflix (357), Hulu (282), and Prime Video (219) are the top three platforms with the most high-quality TV shows.

 

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Top Platforms With the Most Movies and TV Shows Per Dollar Spent (Overall and High-Quality)

• The top three platforms with the most movies per dollar spent are Prime Video (777 movies), Netflix (264), and Paramount+ (226).

• Prime Video (45), HBO Max (34), and Netflix (29) are the top three platforms offering the most high-quality movies per dollar spent.

 

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• Discovery+ (with 306 shows), Prime Video (169), and Netflix (138) are the platforms with the most TV shows per dollar spent.

• The top three platforms with the most high-quality TV shows per dollar spent are Prime Video (24), Netflix (23), and Hulu (22).

 

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The Cheapest and Most Expensive Video Streaming Services

• According to ReelGood, as of April 11, 2022, the three cheapest video streaming services are Apple TV+ with $4.99 for its monthly subscription, Discover+ at $6.99, and Disney+ with $7.99 per month.

• As per statistics provided by ReelGood, the three most expensive video streaming services are Netflix ($15.49 for its standard monthly subscription), HBO Max at $14.99, and Hulu, charging $12.99 per month.

 

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Additional Findings

• According to Business Insider’s analysis of ReelGood’s report on video streaming platforms, Netflix became the most expensive video streaming service after increasing its prices in 2022. In addition, although Netflix’s standard $15.49 monthly plan is the most expensive among all video streaming services in the US, it also offers a cheaper plan at $9.99.
•  The Streamable adds that although Netflix is the most expensive video streaming service, HBO Max follows closely with a price difference of just $0.50.
• Also, ReelGood’s analysis concentrated on ad-free plans, but some platforms like Discover+, HBO Max, Hulu, Paramount+, and Peacock also offer cheaper ad-supported options.
• To leverage the ad-supported video streaming trend, Disney+ plans to introduce an ad-supported plan in the US in late 2022, while Netflix is exploring the possibility of introducing an ad-supported service in the next one or two years.

Research Strategy

Key Takeaways

• According to Ampere Analytics, Amazon's 2021 share in the US streaming services market was about 16%, compared to 21% in 2020.
• As of 2021, Netflix has a global subscriber count surpassing 222 million, while the number of paid memberships in the United States and Canada amounts to approximately 75.22 million.
• As of Q1 2022, HBO Max has 46.8 million subscribers in the United States.

Introduction

Top Streaming Platforms in the United States by Market Share

• Top platforms were selected based on the market share data provided by Ampere Analytics.

 

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1. Netflix

 

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• In 2021, Netflix had a market share of 20% in the US. While it was still the top video streaming platform, its dominance was less significant compared to 2020, when it had 29% of the market.
• Founded in the year 2007, Netflix is an entertainment streaming platform available in more than 190 countries, including the United States. Paid members of the platform are granted access to a variety of feature films, television series, and documentaries spanning several languages and genres. Additionally, the platform enables paid members to access mobile games.

• As of 2021, Netflix has a global subscriber count surpassing 222 million, while the number of paid memberships in the United States and Canada amounts to approximately 75.22 million.
• The streaming platform's revenue from the United States and Canada reached more than $12.97 billion in the year ending December 31, 2021, according to the most recently published annual report from Netflix, Inc. Netflix generates an average of $14.56 in revenue per month per paid membership in the United States & Canada.

2. Amazon Prime Video

 

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• According to Ampere Analytics, Amazon's 2021 share in the US streaming services market was about 16%, compared to 21% in 2020.
• Amazon Prime Video serves as Amazon's entertainment streaming service, and it is one of the benefits that can be accessed by anyone possessing an active paid Amazon Prime membership. Members are able to watch countless feature films and popular television series on compatible devices.

• As reported by Statista, there are an estimated total of 159.8 million subscribers to Amazon Prime in the United States, as of 2021, while the number of subscribers in 2022 is projected to be 163.5 million. While Prime Video is a service available to any Amazon Prime subscriber, this number of active video subscribers is approximately 54 million. 
• In the year ending December 31, 2021, the total global net sales from Amazon's subscription services, which includes Amazon Prime Video, reached $31.77 billion. This figure represented a notable increase over the $19.21 billion and $25.21 billion generated in 2019 and 2020 respectively.

3. Hulu

 

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• In 2021, Hulu's market share was 13%, which represented a drop from 16% in 2020.
• Launched in October 2007, Hulu, which is now owned and operated by the Walt Disney Company and NBC Universal, acts as a direct-to-consumer video streaming platform offering two SVOD services (e.g., no ads and ad-supported). Subscribers have access to more than 75 channels and feature films from several genres. Hulu also provides subscriptions, for an extra fee, to premium services, including Showtime, Cinemax, HBO Max, and Starz, along with live linear cable network streams through the Live TV service.
• As mentioned in a press release detailing the Walt Disney Company's latest quarterly results, the total number of subscribers amounted to 46.2 million (42.2 million SVOD-only subscribers + 4.0 million Live TV + SVOD subscribers) in Q3 2022. This figure represented an 8% increase over the 42.8 million (39.1 million SVOD-only subscribers + 3.7 million Live TV + SVOD subscribers) subscribers reported for July 3, 2021.
• Business of Apps estimates that Hulu generated total revenue of $9.6 billion in the year 2021. Hulu earns an average of around $12.92 in revenue per month per SVOD-only subscriber and $87.92 per month per Live TV + SVOD subscriber.

4. HBO/HBO Max

 

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• HBO Max increased its market share from merely 3% in 2020 to 12% in 2021.
• HBO Max is a streaming platform that combines HBO content with blockbuster films, new Max originals, and popular TV series from other programming channels. It provides access to more than 10,000 hours worth of premium content.

• As of Q1 2022, HBO Max has 46.8 million subscribers in the United States, which was an increase of 4.4 million over the number of domestic subscribers in the previous year.

• According to AT&T's most recently published annual report, HBO Max's revenue from subscription fees alone in 2021 was $1.051 billion. HBO Max generates an average of $11.24 in revenue per month per subscriber in the United States.
• Prior to the merger of Discovery Communications and WarnerMedia, HBO Max's owner, it was projected that the platform will reach 120 million to 150 million subscribers globally by the year 2025.

5. Disney+

 

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• Disney+ had an 11% share in the US video streaming services market in 2021, compared to 12% a year before.
• Launched in the year 2019, Disney+ serves as a direct-to-consumer video streaming service from the Walt Disney Company. The platform contains Disney, Star Wars, Pixar, National Geographic, and Marvel branded programming, including more than 1,850 movies and 33,000 episodes from the Walt Disney company's acquired and produced film and TV library. It also includes 40 exclusive original movies and 75 exclusive original series.
• The number of subscribers to Disney+ in the United States and Canada is 44.5 million, as of July 2, 2022, which is 17% higher than the 37.9 million reported for July 3, 2021. Disney+ earns an average of $6.27 in revenue per month per customer in the United States and Canada.
• According to the latest annual report from the Walt Disney Company, its direct-to-consumer segment, which includes Disney+ generated $12.02 billion in revenue in 2021.
• The Walt Disney Company has announced that it has a target of attaining between 230 million to 260 million subscribers to its Disney+ platform by the year 2024.

6. Peacock

 

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• Peacock's share in the US streaming market was 5% in 2021.
• Peacock is NBCUniversal's premium direct-to-consumer streaming platform, which contains a library of feature films and television shows, along with NBCUniversal content. NBCUniversal content on the platform includes NBC and Telemundo series, late-night comedy, live sports, and news, and Peacock offers "tens of thousands of hours" worth of programming. Peacock offers a free, ad-supported version, along with two different tiers of paid ad-supported and paid ad-free subscriptions.
• In the United States, Peacock maintains 24.5 million active accounts, as of Q4 2021. Over 9 million of these active accounts belong to its paying members, as reported by CNBC.
• Peacock's 2021 revenue reached $778 million. The platform earns nearly $10 in revenue per month per subscription.
• At its current growth rate, Peacock is projected to surpass its owner's projections of between 30 million and 35 million active accounts by the year 2024.

7. Apple TV+

 

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• Apple TV+ grew its market share from 4% in 2020 to 5% in 2021.
• It is a streaming service that works on "Apple devices, smart TVs, consoles, and sticks." It is relatively low-priced with a subscription cost of $4.99 per month.
• "Ted Lasso," "The Morning Show," and "Severance" are three of the most acclaimed shows by Apple TV+, based on Emmy Nominations.
• In 2021, it was estimated that it had about 8.1 million paying subscribers in the US. However, Apple does not reveal the metrics of success of its streaming service. According to Fierce Video, "Apple may never provide Apple TV+ subscriber numbers." While it reports big revenue increases from services, there are no details provided regarding video streaming.

Market Share According to JustWatch

• The market share estimations differ depending on which company or institution conducts the analysis. Just Watch, an aggregator that provides content recommendations, pegs Netflix's market share at 25% and Prime Video's at 19%, as shown in the chart below.

 

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Top Platforms by Mobile App Revenue

• For reference, the chart by Statista and Apptopia, presented below, provides the top 10 platforms according to Q3 2021 mobile app revenue in the US.

 

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Research Strategy

Key Takeaways

• Prior to the launch of HBO Max in 2020, the platform won some of the biggest bidding wars for streaming content, including The Big Bang Theory, Friends, and South Park.
• Netflix's biggest TV series purchase of Seinfeld for $500 million came after the platform started to lose content to media conglomerates launching their own streaming services.
• In 2017, Amazon won a bidding war for the rights to stream the new Lord of the Rings series. The deal was reportedly worth $250 million. At the time the deal was the most expensive for a TV series.

Introduction

The Big Bang Theory

• In 2019, WarnerMedia is reported to have won a bidding war for a five deal to stream The Big Bang Theory on HBO Max. While the exact financial details were not disclosed, reports put the deal between $600 million and $1 billion. 
• As one of the biggest TV shows in the last decade, The Big Bang Theory was seen as a major show that would help with the platforms launch in 2020. The show ranked as the most-watched comedy series while it was on air, drawing 18 million viewers for its finale. It was these viewership numbers that sparked the record bidding war.

 

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South Park

• In October 2019, HBO Max won the streaming rights to South Park, paying between $500 and $550 million for the cartoon series. The deal allows HBO Max to stream all prior seasons, and new episodes 24 hours after they air on TV.
• The announcement came before HBO Max's launch in 2020. The show was purchased to be the anchor for the platform's young adult animation lineup. In February 2022, Paramount announced that starting in 2025, South Park would no longer be on HBO Max, it would stream on Paramount Plus. The deal came after Paramount secured an overall deal worth $900 million with the series creators.

 

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The Office

• In June 2020, NBCUniversal announced it had won the bidding war for The Office, taking it off Netflix for a reported $500 million for five years. The show would leave the Netflix's catalog in 2021.
• NBC was the original network for the iconic TV series, and it made sense for them to take back the rights from Netflix and add the series to its own streaming service, Peacock. The Office was the most watched TV series while on Netflix, NBC hoped that the series would attract viewers to Peacock.

 

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Seinfeld

• Seinfeld originally streamed on Hula from 2015 to 2021, with the platform paying $130 million for the five-year deal. In 2021, Netflix announced it had secured the rights to stream the series for $500 million, for five years. 
• The deal came after Netflix started to lose content to media conglomerates launching their own streaming services, for example the loss of Friends to HBO Max. At the same time Netflix also lost the rights to The Office, and Disney content.

 

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Friends

• From 2014 to 2019, Friends was found on Netflix, with the streaming service paying $120 million for the first four-year deal, and an additional $100 million for the rights for from 2018 to the end of 2019. The show was the second most watched series on the platform.
• In 2020, WarnerMedia purchased back the exclusive rights to stream Friends on its new HBO Max platform, for $425 million. As HBO Max was set to launch in May 2020, it hoped that Friends would help attract subscribers. The platform also arranged a one off reunion special that was available as soon as the service launched.

 

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Lord of the Rings Series

• In 2017, Amazon won a bidding war for the rights to stream the new Lord of the Rings series. The deal was reportedly worth $250 million, beating out Netflix and HBO. At the time the deal was the most expensive for a TV series. The first season reportedly cost $450 million and will begin streaming in 2022.
• Amazon Prime was failing to create original content when it went to war for the Lord of the Ring series streaming rights. In terms of viewership it was not seeing the same numbers as Netflix or HBO. The announcement also came after Amazon was hit with sexual harassment allegations, with some theorizing that the deal was a ploy to detract from the negative publicity.

 

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Brad Pitt Formula 1 Movie

• In January 2022, Apple announced it had won the bidding war for an untitled Brad Pitt movie about Formula One. The deal came after the success of Netflix's 'Formula 1: Drive to Survive' docu-series, and the platforms interest in gaining the rights to stream Formula One from ESPN.
• The deal was reportedly worth $225 million. The project will bring together Brad Pitt, and sought after director Joseph Kosinski, straight off his Top Gun Maverick success. The Netflix docu-series has increased interest in Formula One in the United States, and might explain why the movie streaming rights resulted in a competitive bidding war. 

 

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Research Strategy