The battle for streaming supremacy among major media and entertainment companies has come to an end. These companies are now aware that significant growth in streaming subscribers is not achievable anymore. Disney+ lost four million subscribers during the first three months of the year, while Netflix added 1.75 million subscribers in its first quarter. Warner Bros. Discovery also added 1.6 million subscribers.
The Focus on Profitability
The current narrative among big media and entertainment companies is to focus on making their streaming services profitable. Warner Bros. Discovery announced that its US direct-to-consumer business turned a profit of $50 million in the quarter. Disney announced that its streaming losses narrowed to $659 million from $887 million.
The Role of Gaming in the Future
With significant growth in streaming subscribers no longer achievable, the media and entertainment industry needs a new growth story. The most obvious candidate is gaming. Netflix has started a video game service, while Comcast considered buying EA last year. Microsoft’s deal for Activision was blocked by UK regulators, but legacy media companies could target it if the acquisition fails. Disney could merge its intellectual property with gaming by acquiring Epic Games, which owns Fortnite.
The Next Chapter: The Gaming Wars
More consolidation is expected to happen among legacy media companies, but one major gaming acquisition could start a run in the industry. The Gaming Wars could be the next chapter in the media and entertainment industry.
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