Netflix vs. Disney: Which Streaming Stock Is the Real Content King?
The rapid introduction of multiple streaming services has caused a lot of grief for Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX), as is evident from its loss of over 1 million subscribers in the first half of 2022. The company is also suffering losses in content as its competitors pull licensed titles from the service to fuel their own newly launched streaming platforms. While it looked like Netflix Originals were safe, more of the company's content could be in jeopardy than most realize. Let's assess.
In April 2015, Netflix premiered its original series Daredevil -- based on Marvel comics. The company then released several additional connected series, including Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, and The Punisher. The shows had multiple interconnected series, culminating in a street-style Avengers series aptly named The Defenders, which brought the heroes together. Netflix built up a large fanbase for the New York City-based shows and then, in late 2018, promptly began canceling the series one by one, to the dismay of their fans.
The cancelations occurred in the run-up to the launch of Disney's (NYSE: DIS) streaming service, Disney+, in November 2019. While Netflix marketed The Defenders-related shows as Originals, they were based on borrowed characters and thus removed from the service on March 1, and are now exclusive to Disney+. The move has shown that Netflix's past style of developing originals alongside major studios is no longer viable.
Source Fool.com
