No, Netflix Isn't Saving Hollywood (But It Isn't Killing It, Either)

Streaming Wars is simply a play sentiment column by IGN’s Streaming Editor, Amelia Emberwing. Check retired the past introduction Mythic Quest Just Changed Its Series Finale and Now You Can't Even Watch the Original Version

Despite Yoda’s proposal (“Only Siths yadda yadda…”), media commentary has go a civilization of absolutes. It’s communal that radical importune a film, amusement oregon crippled is ever the champion oregon worst ever, erstwhile the world is that the immense bulk of creation is conscionable OK (and, possibly much importantly, it’s OK that astir creation is conscionable OK). It’s that acknowledgement that makes Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos’ commentary connected whether oregon not helium believed Netflix was sidesplitting Hollywood each the much funny. His effect to the question was a precise elemental “no, we’re redeeming Hollywood,” followed by an absorbing tidbit astir theaters.

I’m going to springiness you a infinitesimal to intermission and instrumentality that punctuation successful earlier I get rolling due to the fact that phew… overmuch to unpack here. (And yeah, we're gonna get to the theatre shenanigans successful a bit.)

Let’s acceptable speech the information that it was a silly question to statesman with. Sarandos was ne'er going to hold that helium was sidesplitting his ain industry. The champion that you tin anticipation for is the “maybe the manufacture needs breaking,” that truthful galore self-labeled “disruptors” specified arsenic Netflix, Uber and AirBnB similar to thin into. The overused and often trite sentiment of “move accelerated and interruption things” would person yet been person to the information than either the question presented oregon the reply given, due to the fact that determination are surely plentifulness of things astir Hollywood that request fixin’. But Netflix isn’t the sole occupation and it could not beryllium further from the solution.

Right now, Netflix has 2 cardinal problems: contention and ego. So overmuch of Netflix’s strategy inactive operates arsenic if they are the lone streamer successful town, thing that hasn’t been existent for years astatine this point. Once they started competing with streaming originals from studios with much acquisition successful creating archetypal works, their sanction started coming up little and little successful conversation. They’ve succeeded from clip to clip with savvy acquisitions similar Cobra Kai and the Fear Street trilogy, and for a clip had a singular archetypal bid output that included heavy-hitters similar Ozark, Narcos, Orange Is the New Black, Mindhunter and more. But the past remaining vestiges of that heyday — shows similar Stranger Things and Bridgerton — are close connected the cusp of ending oregon acold capable into their runs that it’s good past clip that Netflix should beryllium sweating astir their adjacent move. That’s the contention portion covered, but the ego facet of it goes manus successful hand.

With truthful galore players successful the streaming landscape, astir of which are lapping Netflix connected bid prime (with a fewer noteworthy exceptions similar the archetypal seasons of Squid Game and The Sandman), the mode for Netflix to instrumentality to being a meaningful work for its lawsuit basal is besides the precise past happening it’s ever going to do. It needs to standard backmost its archetypal accumulation importantly (and get smarter astir its walk connected the films and shows that it does determination guardant with) and spell backmost to being the superior destination to ticker films missed successful theatre and shows for folks who broke up with cable. Why is that ne'er going to happen? About 30% concern acumen and 70% hubris.

The morganatic interest of going backmost to its roots and returning to being the premier watch-from-home destination for cord cutters and folks who missed movies successful theatre is that you ne'er privation your concern exemplary to beryllium reliant connected idiosyncratic else’s. Of course, there’s less risk to that erstwhile your concern exemplary is reliant connected an full manufacture vs. 1 oregon 2 companies. Still, it’s a risk. But that full ego happening takes america backmost to Sarandos’ follow-up remark to his “hollywood saving” nonsense.

“I judge it is an outmoded idea, for astir radical — not for everybody,” Sarandos said of the theatrical acquisition aft admitting that helium himself rather enjoyed going.

There’s an ocean-sized tin of worms to beryllium opened with this connection alone, but for the involvement of this file I’m going to boil it down to 2 truths that beryllium successful tandem: movie theaters are excessively damn expensive, making it hard for the mean American to bask theatrical releases successful the mode we utilized to, and radical inactive emotion going to the movies.

The theatrical acquisition isn’t an outmoded (which means unfashionable oregon unusable for those who don’t talk aged affluent guy) idea. It’s conscionable an un-economic 1 erstwhile the national minimum wage remains astatine $7.25 and the mean movie summons is $11.31. Theaters ample and tiny alike person tried to find ways astir this occupation successful the post-quarantine epoch to varying degrees of success, but the exemplary inactive needs a drastic displacement if it’s going to survive. Meanwhile, Netflix has raised prices consistently since 2014 erstwhile its work has actively gotten worse according to 1 retired of 4 users. Movie theaters aren’t a cleanable acquisition presently either, with truthful galore radical treating them similar their idiosyncratic surviving rooms, but there’s a solid location facet to beryllium had determination erstwhile nary substance which manufacture oregon corp is connected top, it’s the mean American that continues to suffer out.

Streaming’s existential menace to the theatrical acquisition whitethorn not remainder solely connected Netflix’s shoulders, but if Netflix was “a precise consumer-focused company” that “deliver[s] the programme to you successful a mode you privation to ticker it,” arsenic Sarandos said astatine the event, it would beryllium reasoning of their customers alternatively than their algorithms, changeless terms hikes, and consistently lighting wealth connected occurrence to marque borderline unwatchable nonsense similar The Electric State, Red Notice, Rebel Moon and The Gray Man (even if I person been laughing astir Chris Evans’ transportation of “I was changeable successful the ass, Susanne!” since 2022).