Introduction
Online platforms known as video streaming service providers enable viewing and occasionally downloading movies and TV shows for usage by solitary viewers or entire households. Users subscribe to the service and pay a predetermined monthly price for access to a library of material. Depending on how much a customer pays, different subscription plans from other businesses may offer different levels of access to material, quality, or additional services. Unlike other media companies like cable television, streaming services allow users to choose what and when to consume information. Although streaming services require an Internet connection, the widespread accessibility and low cost of the Internet in today’s society make such platforms more popular due to the freedom and mobility they provide in contrast to stationary, costly cable television.
Netflix Overview
Due in large part to Netflix being the first platform to create this kind of business model in essentially any entertainment industry, the term “Netflix” is now used to refer to streaming video in modern popular culture. According to Lobato, streaming services have permanently altered how media content is distributed (2019, p. 4). While Netflix used to dominate the market with a 91% market share, it currently only holds about 19% of the market due to fierce competition; even though it consistently adds new customers, it has 167 million users worldwide, including 60 million in the United States (Clark, 2020). According to Jenner, Netflix distinguishes itself from rivals by avoiding third-party marketing and content with varying prices and reimagining and reconfiguring what television is (2018). Netflix is a data-driven firm that uses sophisticated analytics to determine customer interest in particular titles and genres and to compare this to rivals’ offerings. Before entering into discussions for licensing deals, the data is meticulously evaluated and includes information such as the times and dates that content is viewed, the types of devices used, the zip code, and user behaviors like searches and platform browsing activity.
Factors that Influence Consumer’s Choice
Similar to most new material from other streaming services, Netflix is recognized for producing original shows that are distinct and not based on preexisting brands. On the platform, suggestions within the search environment support query for unavailable entities and assist with content discovery (Lamkhede & Das, 2019, p. 1374). A few factors should be considered when choosing a streaming platform. The watching experience and the compatibility with customer preferences are the main value additions from an online video streaming platform. Video quality must remain constant across the variety of supported devices. Second, high-quality material is priceless in today’s society. Businesses can grow beyond their current limitations by monetizing video content. Future revenue strategies must include video monetization because newer methods are frequently investigated. The chosen video hosting solution must make it easier for businesses to profit from the monetization plan and increase audience engagement simultaneously. The hosting service must provide the proper frameworks and resources to tailor the monetization strategy to the intended audience.
Third, understanding user behavior and efficiently adjusting to changing needs depend on tracking published content performance using various analytics tools. Monitoring the performance of the video to the set KPIs is equally crucial when the released content is targeted at a particular audience. Businesses can conclude video hosting platforms that provide statistics and insights on video performance to inform prospective future content strategies. Additionally, publishers need an easy-to-use interface for uploading, accessing, and monitoring content. Security content to prevent piracy is a crucial component of the video publishing industry. Proper security measures in video distribution can be used to reduce the likelihood of losing money to piracy. Depending on their publishing requirements, businesses employing the services must be capable of switching between private and public viewing. Users can safely distribute video material using hosting providers that offer scalable and secure cloud installations across private and public clouds. Even if the content is of high quality, inefficient distribution may prevent it from receiving adequate attention. A structured online video streaming service would essentially aid in bringing the material across international boundaries. When constructing the distribution plan, the hosting service must have considered the regional and legal specifics. In addition to being a technically sound program, a video hosting service with such characteristics must have an adequate business strategy.
In addition to the factors above, the distinct set of capabilities provided by the video hosting service would give firms a competitive advantage. A video transcoding tool, for instance, enables viewers to stream content across various platforms, including smartphones, tablets, and desktop computers. If a user finds this feature the most valuable benefit, the publishers will have a competitive advantage. Other advantages of a similar nature would include video ingestion and live streaming, among others. How video is delivered can significantly affect how well-received the released content is with prospects. Choosing the best video delivery method is essential to a successful video marketing strategy because it affects how the material is delivered to the target audience.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Exclusivity
With social media becoming a more widely used news source and customers’ desire for immediate information, it is difficult to say whether content exclusivity is still valid. It offers several benefits and drawbacks. The advantage is that the exclusive is a calculated strategy to reach prominent people with high profiles. According to Wasko & Meehan, compared to the American film industry, streaming networks provide more money, more creative freedom, and a readiness to develop more distinctive programming and films (2019, p. 153). Giving a newspaper or a writer the whole is frequently preferable to a brief mention in a roundup or pertinent column for securing a larger readership. The drawback of social media as a news source is that anyone, even the customer, can unintentionally publish any material. There is always a chance that the previous story will be discarded if a bigger, better, or more timely tale emerges.
Industry Dynamics of Technological Innovation
Innovative ideas can come from a wide range of sources. It might come from individuals, such as the stereotype of the lone innovator, or from users who create solutions to meet their own needs. University research, government labs and incubators, private nonprofit organizations, and government incubators can contribute to innovation, which firms are crucial drivers of. Since they often have more resources than individuals and a management framework to direct those resources toward a common goal, businesses are well suited for innovation activities. Companies have a tremendous incentive to create novel, distinctive products and services since doing so could put them ahead of nonprofit or government-funded organizations. A company’s competitive success in the market is derived from its core capabilities, which set it apart from its rivals. Instead of physical or monetary assets, a company’s set of abilities or knowledge in a particular field is typically referred to as its core competency.
Conclusion
In conclusion, streaming services have been seen as more practical and less expensive than cable television. Despite recent price increases on the most widely used platforms, streaming is still cheaper than cable because cable companies also boost their pricing and frequently demand contracts and installation fees. Consumers can save money on these broadcast fees, package fees, and other costs by not purchasing sports they may never watch as a family. Customers may choose what they subscribe to with streaming, deciding which platform has the finest shows for their interests and the various providers that now offer live television. Even with the cost of broadband internet included, having multiple streaming service subscriptions frequently results in yearly expenditures that are less than the cable TV package.
References
Jenner, M. (2018). Netflix and the Re-invention of Television. Springer.
Lamkhede, S., & Das, S. (2019). Challenges in search on streaming services: Netflix case study. In Proceedings of the 42nd International ACM SIGIR Conference on Research and Development in Information Retrieval, pp. 1371-1374.
Lobato, R. (2019). Netflix nations. In Netflix Nations, 28. New York University Press.
Shattuc, J. (2020). Netflix, Inc. and online television. A companion to television, 145-164.