2023 has been quite a year for the world of online streaming! From record-breaking shows to industry-breaking strikes, it feels like this could be a defining moment for how people across the world enjoy TV.
Reports on the biggest streaming trends have highlighted just how tumultuous the last year has been for everyone, from big executives to extras, crew and even paying subscribers. Here are just some of the notable things that happened over 2023 in the streaming world.
Consolidation and Clampdowns
Competition in the streaming world is reaching even higher levels than before – nowadays, it feels like you need at least five subscriptions to watch all the biggest releases!
Many of the fast-growing streaming services went through mergers over 2023:
- Disney+ merged Hulu and ESPN into its service.
- HBO Max and Discovery+ merged to become Max.
- SHOWTIME became part of Paramount+.
Much of this consolidation is likely due to the increasing amount of saturation in the market, making it really difficult for services to continue growing without literally eating their competition!
Netflix remains the number one streaming service, but with competitors getting larger, it went through some consolidation of its own with moves to ban account sharing, much to the disdain of subscribers.
The Success of Original Content
As competition grows, so does the importance of having original content to bring in new subscribers.
Netflix was the big winner at the 2023 Oscars, only surpassed by A24 for their smash hit Everything Everywhere All At Once. Many of their winners, including Pinnochio and All Quiet on the Western Front, were available on the streaming service at the time of the awards night.
There’s nothing quite like a gold award to get people to watch something, right? Expect to see more competition between streamers for award-winning original productions going forward.
Writers and Actors Strikes Wreak Havoc on Schedules
While demand for new shows and movies skyrockets, so does their worth. The Hollywood strikes this year were some of the biggest seen in decades and while the strikes are now over, their effects will be felt well into next year and beyond in the schedule changes.
Here are just some of the big releases whose productions were paused and pushed back due to the strikes:
- Stranger Things Season 5
- Yellowjackets Season 3
- The Last of Us Season 2
- The Handmaid’s Tale Season 6
- Deadpool 3
We also had Dune Part 2, which had been completed but whose release was pushed from late 2023 to early 2024 due to the strikes.
While pay, particularly for lower-paid actors and extras, was a big reason for the strikes, future-proofing jobs was also big on the agenda.
With the increasing prominence of AI, the new deals struck are designed to provide some protection against companies using the technology to cut out workers, but how far it can go will become clear over the coming years.
The Importance of IP
As the importance of original content increases for streamers, another trend that’s quickly emerging is the rush for intellectual property – notable franchises from the world of entertainment – and milking them for all their worth.
Many of the biggest shows over the last year are not completely original but are instead based on tried and loved franchises. Examples such as HBO’s The Last of Us and Netflix’s One Piece were particular standouts based on previously established worlds.
The power of releases like these is that they immediately appeal to the audience that enjoyed the franchise previously, reducing the risk that comes with, say, a brand new zombie apocalypse TV series with no previous record.
Disney+ is pretty much built on the franchise and IP model, and it will be interesting to see to what lengths other services go to make the most of their properties.
These are just some of the trends from the last 12 months. While we never know for sure what to expect in the future, if it’s anything like 2023, then we could be in for a wild ride!
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