Streaming's Bursting Bubble

The world of streaming is a rollercoaster. One moment you’re dreading its effects on archiving, the next you’re excited that Disney+ is worth having. The concept of watching content online has pros and cons, but it’s increasingly feeling like the cons are outweighing the pros. In particular, it’s fallen prey to a lack of practicality and a lack of continuity. Both of these are disastrous for the industry.

Let’s start with that first issue. About 10 years ago, all streaming of note was on Netflix. Netflix had skin in the game since the days of Blockbuster, serving as a direct competitor and having the convenience of not venturing outside. Even when Netflix pivoted to digital-only, it still pushed Blockbuster into obscurity. Netflix, essentially, was the better option. It had the longer legs.

Netflix was the go-to service for years. And people took note. And when it started making original content, the ease of logging on and browsing was there. It helped that Netflix had no competition. Like Apple, Netflix had an ecosystem.

Unfortunately, it didn’t take long for Netflix to have competition. Streamers like AppleTV, Peacock, Amazon Prime, Disney+ and HBO Max started popping up and ate up parts of Netflix’s base. They locked in exclusives and original programming, as well as their own demographics. Disney+, for example, was the home to Disney, as well as Star. Meanwhile, HBO Max was for Warner Bros.’ massive backlog of films and shows. With all of these services, Netflix began feeling redundant. It didn’t help that these services had monthly fees, many of which were expensive.

I’ll admit that I only watch Netflix and Disney+. Netflix is for my family, while Disney+ I pay for directly. I’m generally happy with these services, but I’m now noticing disturbing trends. Like, what’s with restricting password sharing? I get not letting strangers use your account, but family and friends? Why should I be charged extra for that?

It sucks that Netflix has gotten so paranoid. I know they want to a loyal base, but why not cap accounts at three or four users? It doesn’t help that subscription costs keep swelling, especially when their content doesn’t justify it. Not everything on Netflix is worth my time, after all! Factor in that Disney+ is considering doing the same, and I feel dirty reminding people not to use my accounts!

This leads to the other issue: a lack of preservation. Video games are guilty of this too, but at least they have options for many of their newer releases! Streaming doesn’t; in fact, with much of the original content there are no physical releases! You’re at the mercy of whatever’s on the platform that day. And given that titles are pulled frequently, that’s a problem.

It's especially frustrating because algorithms are determining longevity. Yes, algorithms are scanning viewer numbers now. Given that not everything that’s popular is good, and vice versa, that’s not good for small-time creators. Nowadays, in order to be big you have to strike a chord with audiences, which is hard when you lack a fallback position. Even then, being popular doesn’t guarantee anything.

Interestingly enough, that’s what’s at the heart of the current strikes in Hollywood. It used to be that even if your work wasn’t successful, future circulations guaranteed residuals. With the advent of streaming, as well as cancellations and content purges, that’s not a guarantee anymore. Streaming simply isn’t the novelty it once was. The rising costs are the icing on this crappy cake.

I wish I could fix this problem myself. But I can’t. I’m one person with barely any base. I can’t even apply for AdSense, and I doubt the ads I’d receive would sustain me. So this is quite personal.

That’s where I have to turn to people with influence, and I’m not seeing results. There’s simply too much uncertainty and lack of quality-control, and no one’s stepping in to regulate it. I’m not even including the constant tax write-offs contributing to this mess, because that’s a whole other can of worms! It’s as if no one in charge cares. Or if they do, they’re not a large or powerful enough voice.

I like streaming. I like the convenience of streaming. Streaming allows for a certain freedom that’s missing from movie theatres and retail stores. It’s nice to sit down and watch something without having to scope it out. I also don’t see streaming going away.

But that’s why I’m so concerned. Whether it’s affordability, practicality, or a lack of sustainable content, something’s got to give. And hopefully soon. Because if entertainment isn’t treated with respect, then what’s the point? Why bother pouring your heart and soul into something if it’s discarded the second it’s deemed useless? What’s the point long-term?

Cable TV started to consolidate different channels into a centralized hub. Said hub took hundreds of networks and made them affordable. I mention this because streaming’s becoming what Cable TV fought against, and people often joke that it’d be ironic if something similar to cable happened with these services. Honestly, I’d like that. Because if it means fixing the problems with streaming, strikes aside, then I’d happily pay for a consolidated package. Wouldn’t we all?