Netflix is one of the most popular video streaming services in the world. Even if there are people, who didn’t know anything about it before, they probably watched or at least heard about such TV shows as: “Black Mirror,” “House of Cards,” “13 Reasons Why”, “Narco,” or “Stranger Things.” All of them, like many other films and TV series, are not only distributed through Netflix but are also produced by the same company. One of the distinctive features of Netflix is that new series are released not one episode once a week, but immediately a whole season on one day simultaneously around the world in different languages. Netflix is available in any country and works on a wide variety of devices. And best of all, browsing synchronization is supported across all devices. That is, you can watch 30 minutes of a movie on TV, then launch Netflix on your smartphone and continue watching from the same moment, and end the viewing altogether in the browser on your laptop.
There are four main challenges that Netflix is about to face during its further development in the field of video streaming. The first one is related to the user-friendly interface of the application. Part of the challenge is that Netflix is available on different devices, including smartphones (Android and iOS), tablets, computers, TVs, set-top boxes, game consoles, DVD, and Blu-ray players. The challenge is to create a user-friendly application with easy access to every device. Another challenge is a fight with competitors of the company in an era where cable networks and leading streaming content providers are vying for more eyes. Netflix shareholders need to know which companies pose the greatest threats to the company, and they should also question whether those threats really matter. Competition is a critical factor in any industry, but the situation with Netflix can be different (Nelson & Quick, 2019). Competition can significantly influence the company, especially Amazon, stealing the market share.
The initiative of Netflix to stream original series and shows is another challenge for a company. Netflix is only starting to enter the market of original programming, which makes other major media companies push back the competitor. Finally, contracts with studios are in threat to be changed, being another challenge for a company. There is a risk that studios start charging more for the content that they provide to Netflix.
The first challenge is not going to create a lot of trouble for the company since it is only a matter of technological issues. The development of an easily accessible and user-friendly interface requires research with a narrow focus, which makes it easier, and proper IT specialists can implement the ideas from research (Di Muzio et al., 2017). Among other challenges, the most difficult is competition with other growing companies in the field of video streaming. Amazon is known as the biggest threat to the company. As of the fourth quarter of 2021, Amazon Prime Video had around 200 million subscribers – a number that has grown rapidly over the past two years as the company ramped up production of its original content (Lad et al., 2019). Thousands of titles, including various genres, are offered in Prime Video. Hence, Amazon Prime is the most dangerous competitive of Netflix, and the competition is the most difficult challenge to overcome.
Globalization and diversity always come along with ethics, which are the key instruments for successfully facing the challenges awaiting Netflix. The American Academy of Motion Picture Arts has approved new standards, which will soon have to adhere to the creators of films nominated for Oscar in the Best Picture nomination (Buchanan, 2021). These are four criteria, at least two of which must be met for this. In particular, at least one of the actors playing the leading or supporting role must be from a racial or ethnic minority (Wilkinson, 2020). If this cannot be achieved, then at least 30 percent of the rest of the troupe must be women, members of racial, ethnic, sexual minorities, or persons with disabilities. The new rules are aimed at combating the oppression of these categories of people. These new rules of the game in filmmaking make the diversity and globalization issue the main instrument to catch the attention of the people and to get more subscribers (Oliver, 2021). Addressing diversity and ethics issues when working on all four challenges is an opportunity to show the world that the company is ready for global changes, which will only increase the brand’s popularity.
Addressing those challenges would only boost the development of the company in the field of video streaming. The challenges are the key issues that the company should solve to become even more successful. If Netflix overplays the competitors, produces a variety of original series and movies, which the audience would love, the company will flourish and gain even more popularity. Hence, the challenges that the company is facing are the biggest opportunities and steps towards a bright future. As for advice to Reed Hastings, it would be better if Netflix focuses on making its own products to become more independent. That way, the company will be free from outside influence and can be resistant to pushbacks of other companies.
References
Buchanan, K. (2021). The Oscars’ new diversity rules are sweeping but safe. The New York Times. Web.
Di Muzio, E., Toti, D., & Polticelli, F. (2017). DockingApp: A user friendly interface for facilitated docking simulations with AutoDock Vina. Journal of Computer-Aided Molecular Design, 31(2), 213-218.
Lad, A., Butala, S., & Bide, P. (2019). A comparative analysis of over-the-top platforms: Amazon Prime Video and Netflix. International Conference on Communication and Intelligent Systems. 12(5), 283-299.
Nelson, D., & Quick, C. (2019). ORGB: Organizational behavior. Cengage Learning.
Oliver, D. (2021). The pandemic fueled more diversity in the film industry in 2020. Will that progress continue? Web.
Wilkinson, A. (2020). The Oscars’ new rules for Best Picture nominees, explained. Web.