Insider's Paris Marx has an article up called "The golden age of streaming TV is over" with a sub-head "Netflix used to offer a library full of cutting-edge shows and movies. But now it has introduced ads and is producing more bland, mass-appeal shows — just like cable." It’s a great article. Go read it. There’s nothing wrong in it. But I think it points toward something people often miss about the significance of Netflix and streaming TV in general.
Marx's argument is that streaming isn't making money, so streamers are retreating to lowest-common-denominator shows. Basically increased competition has forced Netflix to go "from trying to replicate HBO to being more like the Hallmark Channel." Not to mention moving into reality shows like Love is Blind, Is it Cake and Nailed It. Mark has seen documents shared by talent agents that say Netflix is looking for "big, broad stories that can be told on a budget."
In the end Marx notes that the same thing happened to cable. Independent networks that people thought would topple the network oligopoly got bought but he big players. ESPN went to Disney, USA to NBC, and more. And now the same thing sis happening to streaming.
He’s right. But I’m not surprised. This is what happens in media. Newcomers disrupt, grow untilt he growth slows, then look for ways to widen audiences. It’s why the SciFi network added wrestling.
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