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• Guess who’s really winning the Streaming Wars? 📺💣

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Guess who’s really winning the Streaming Wars? 📺💣

I’ve always wondered two things:

• Why do my socks keep disappearing during laundry?

• What was life like without a “Watch Next” button?

In the past decade, TV-watching has had a glow-up. All thanks to Netflix, the founding father of Binge Watching, and the ultimate disruptor of traditional TV.

When Netflix entered the streaming business back in 2007, it was seen as a sidekick, not a rival to traditional media companies. They went to these media companies with an offer they couldn’t refuse. 

Many media companies at that time were sitting on a lot of older TV shows and movies that weren’t airing and thus weren’t generating much revenue. Netflix offered to pay these companies to license this content.

Since that content was just collecting dust and it would have provided what was essentially free money, the media companies were like: “Sure, why not.”

But as Netflix’s popularity soared, things started to change. Suddenly, Netflix wasn’t just a companion; it became a competitor. 

The media companies were like: “Hey, why should Netflix profit from OUR content?”.

So they did the next logical thing: launched their own streaming services - because what could go wrong with spending billions of dollars building something they had no expertise in.

Thus began the infamous Streaming Wars.

Media companies have been burning through cash like its Monopoly money the last couple of years, all to grab your attention.

However, as the dust settles, it looks like their plans haven’t quite worked out. As established media companies struggle to turn a profit on their streaming services, many have crowned Netflix the winner of the streaming wars - The OG of streaming. 

But what if I tell you that it’s NOT winning the streaming wars. If not Netflix, then WHO IS?

The Streaming Giant You Didn’t See Coming

I’ll give you a hint about who's really winning the streaming wars. Which video platform comes to your mind where you can find ALL of the following?

1. A 3 minute gourmet recipe for a quick dinner date.

2. A documentary on how cheese was used as currency in ancient times.

3. A tutorial on how to fold a fitted sheet (Trust me, it is possible).

If you still weren’t able to guess it, I’ll give you another hint. It rhymes with “PEW-TUBE”. 

Yes, the 1000 pound video streaming gorilla is not Netflix anymore - it’s YouTube.

Ever since the rise of smart TVs, YouTube has been increasingly dominating the living room. What started as a platform we mostly watched on our computers and phones has now become a heavy hitter on the big screen.

In fact, over half of all YouTube viewing happens on a TV screen now. This shift to the big screen has been a game-changer, bringing YouTube into direct competition with Netflix and other streaming giants. 

While Netflix accounts for 8.4% of all TV viewing, Youtube has been ahead of it the past 15 months with the platform accounting for ~10% of the TV market share.

On TV, a whopping 25% of all streamed content comes from YouTube — proof that it’s slipped into our daily habits as easily as hitting the snooze ** just one more ** time.

Here are some eye-popping stats about YouTube:

1. YouTube is the 2nd most visited website in the world just after Google.

2. A staggering 3.7 million videos are uploaded on YouTube DAILY.

3. More than 1 billion hours of content is watched on TV EVERY DAY.

Some analysts say that if YouTube were its own company, it could be worth almost $400 billion. 

Not too bad for a company that was purchased for just $1.65 billion.

But how did Youtube quietly creep up and win the streaming wars?

The Creator Economy

One big factor behind the success of Youtube is the cost or the lack of it. Yes, streaming services offer cheaper and on-demand plans compared to cable TV but do you know what's even better? FREE.

Unlike traditional streaming services that hide their content behind paywalls, Youtube is free, both for you to access and for the content it pays. 

Youtube has probably a gazillion hours worth of content on their platform - all of which was created by their users - content they technically haven’t paid a single penny for. If this does not seem huge to you, believe me - it is. 

To put this into perspective, here’s what some streaming giants spent just on content in 2023:

• Disney: $33 billion

• Amazon: $18.9 billion

• Netflix: $12.6 billion

Now, it’s not like YouTube isn’t paying for content at all. But instead of producing its own, it’s sharing ad revenue (55% share) with creators. Rather than paying up-front for content like traditional streamers, it pays its creators when it gets paid. YouTube has paid out $70 billion over the last three years to its creators. 

Because YouTube’s content is created by its users, it has built an almost limitless library of content. And it's not just about having a huge amount of content - it’s also about having content on virtually every topic imaginable. 

• A livestream of a hamster running in a wheel - ✅

• A 12-hour loop of relaxing whale sounds - ✅ 

• How to fold a fitted sheet (Honestly not lying) - ✅

Going down the YouTube rabbit hole is something I always avoid but i’ll be lying if I don’t have those days.

But the real magic of YouTube?

It comes down to one thing that even the biggest competitors haven’t been to recreate - Community. 

YouTube’s creators are the backbone of the platform, and their content not just drives watch time but community and loyalty.

Take, for example, MrBeast. Thus guy didn’t just become famous for his over-the-top challenges, like trying to stay in a room full of snakes for 24 hours or giving away entire islands (as one usually does).

MrBeast has built a loyal community that tunes in not just to see what wild stunt he’ll pull next, but because they feel like they’re part of the action. They’re not just cheering for his videos; they’re cheering for the person.

And that is what YouTube is all about. The platform isn’t just about entertaining viewers, it’s about connecting people with creators. Unlike traditional media, where viewers engage with fictional characters in scripted shows, YouTube offers something far more personal: real people sharing their lives, passions and perspectives. 

Comments, likes, shares, and subscriptions all create a dynamic, interactive experience that traditional streaming services simply can’t match. And this interaction fosters a sense of community that is at the heart of YouTube’s appeal. 

YouTube’s immediate feedback loop helps the creators know when something is good right away, as opposed to spending millions of dollars on a whole series and hoping for the best.

Netflix might have been the upstart that turned the TV world on its head nearly 20 years ago by introducing the world to streaming. But now, it seems the time has come for the disruptor to get disrupted - and YouTube is the one leading the charge.

P.S. - For those of you still wondering if it’s possible to fold a fitted sheet - here y’a go: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckTCocBCUN4

☄️ Asteroids ☄️

Stephen Wolfram, once a philosophy-averse prodigy, now believes AI's moral dilemmas need philosophical pondering, not just tech fixes. Who knew AI had ethics? 🔮💀 

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