So far, it has been common for streaming services not to compete directly, at least with their release dates. But now two big series are starting on the same day. What does that mean for the providers Netflix and Disney+ – and of course for the users?
Netflix and Disney+, two streaming giants. After Netflix was considered the undisputed leader for a long time, the provider is now slowly but surely getting closer to the competition. First and foremost: Disney+. Now the two services go head-to-head in the form of two series: Stranger Things and Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Netflix and Disney+ have been in competition for a long time
The streaming provider Netflix has been around since the late 1990s, back then as an online video store where you could rent DVDs. The streaming service only developed in the direction of video-on-demand in the mid-00s. This made Netflix a pioneer and pioneer for many other providers, because the success was enormous early on. Netflix owes its longstanding supremacy primarily to its pioneering spirit. In the past four to five years in particular, however, the streaming boom has picked up enormously. Numerous providers are pushing, including Disney +.
The Mickey Mouse group’s streaming service is comparatively young. The platform was launched at the end of 2019 – or in Germany in March 2020. Corona was certainly a decisive factor for the fantastic start of Disney +. In addition, there were few but well-known in-house productions such as “The Mandalorian” from the start. Disney+ was quickly proclaimed as Netflix’s main competitor. Not only because of the rapidly growing number of subscribers – above all their age played a role. Netflix and Disney+ are courting an important target group in particular: teenagers and young adults.
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Stranger Things vs. Obi-Wan Kenobi
Even if theoretically all streaming services are in direct competition with each other, it has been customary not to pit two productions directly against each other. With the two blockbuster series “Stranger Things” from Netflix and “Obi-Wan Kenobi” from Disney+, that is now changing. Both start on the same day. “Stranger Things” is of enormous importance for Netflix, as it is still considered one of the most successful in-house productions of the service. After all, not many Netflix series make it to season 4, which in this case we had to wait a long time for, also due to Corona.
Obi-Wan Kenobi, on the other hand, is an entirely new series coming to Disney+. The company has the advantage of owning several major brands; Star Wars is just one of them. Since the announcement that there would be a series about the well-known Jedi Master, the anticipation has been high. Even Ewan McGregor, who played Obi-Wan in the prequel films, returns for the role.
Is Disney+ deliberately setting its series against Netflix?
The fact that Disney+ in particular set the start of “Obi-Wan Kenobi” on the same day as “Stranger Things” is considered certain. It is also striking that the release time was brought forward at short notice. Actually, the first two episodes should go online as usual at 9 a.m. (CET). But the publication took place at 6 a.m. (CET) this morning.
One explanation is that actors Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen, who also reprises his role as Anakin Skywalker, introduced the series at the Star Wars Celebrations in California. Disney might want to avoid some spoilers by releasing it earlier. More likely, however, is that the streaming service wants to give its series a minimal head start.
Netflix and Disney+ stand for two different concepts
In terms of content, the series are very different, but they address a very similar target group. However, the publishing concepts of Netflix and Disney+ differ significantly. Netflix is splitting up a series for the first time with the fourth season of “Stranger Things”; the first part with seven episodes will start on May 27th. The season finale with two episodes, however, will not be released until July 1st.
Disney+, on the other hand, remains true to its previous tactic of releasing on a weekly basis. Only at the start two episodes go online. So Disney+ has the additional advantage that “Obi-Wan Kenobi” will most likely stay in the conversation for longer.
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New competition could affect the streaming market
Things haven’t been going so well at Netflix lately. The service recorded declining subscriber numbers for the first time. As a countermeasure, Netflix is planning, among other things, tougher action against account sharing, which would probably hit the younger target group in particular. Other measures such as live television are also under discussion. Above all, the provider wants to focus even more on its own high-quality content in the future. “Stranger Things” is an important piece of the puzzle in this respect.
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The fact that Disney+ is now so openly competing with Netflix could lead to a further tightening of the streaming market in the near future. The next blockbuster productions will compete against each other as early as summer: The “Game of Thrones” prequel “House of the Dragon” and the “Lord of the Rings” series from Amazon Prime Video. For subscribers, on the one hand, this will probably mean a lot of content in very short intervals in the future as well. And on the other hand, it could show earlier than expected which streaming services can even keep up in this arms race.