The Struggles of Streaming Companies
- Peyton Widen
- Feb 3
- 2 min read
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Streaming was supposed to fix everything that cable couldn't achieve. Those were high prices, confusing bundles, and limited choice. The selection of these streaming services, such as Netflix, Disney+, Prime Video, and Hulu, seemed like the solution on paper. However, the streaming landscape is now more complex than ever. Instead of one or two affordable platforms, consumers now face rising subscription costs across many exclusive platforms. These limit what the consumer can access at an affordable price.
The biggest issue that we see right now is oversaturation in the streaming services market. There are now more than 200 streaming services in operation, ranging from major players like Netflix and Disney+ to tiny niche platforms. With all of these options, the market is heavily overcrowded, and these consumers don’t know which combination is best for their budget. With all of these different platforms, the smaller ones are especially vulnerable,
with experts predicting shutdowns or mergers as companies fight for profitability.
The rising prices and scattered content have made streaming feel just as frustrating as cable once did, if not more frustrating. There isn’t one place where all the content is. You may think you have all the streaming options necessary, but you see the basketball game you have been waiting to watch or the movie you have been waiting to binge isn’t on any of the 5 streaming sites you are already paying for, and you need access to a new one just to access your favorite content. This is one of the main causes of consumer dissatisfaction when they don’t have access to a form of content they want to see just because it is on a different streaming site where a separate fee is required per month. This has led to subscription fatigue rising as people feel overwhelmed by the number of services and the cost of keeping them all.
The idea of streaming service seemed like it would be a great addition to the entertainment industry. While it still is a great addition, it shows many areas to improve based on consumer feedback. If some of the companies can come together and provide more ease at a fair rate, streaming will be the lead of entertainment for the future. But to get to that point, there needs to be serious changes when it comes to pricing, content strategy, and overall user experience. Otherwise, streaming may end up looking a lot like the cable system it was meant to replace.
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