(Disclaimer: This is a personal opinion of the author & not an official business review, this piece was originally drafted in 2019 but has since been updated to reflect current times, in 2021)
In 2019, everyone heard the news that Netflix lost two of its biggest streaming clients, ie; Friends and The Office to their respective planned owners future streaming services, the aforementioned Peacock, HBO Max, & Disney+ streaming services set to debut in 2019 and 2020 respectively.
You’ve probably seen Netflix ramp up its original content in recent years, namely Stranger Things, Black Mirror, The Society, along with original movies such as the very successful To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before, Bird Box, Murder Mystery, etc. They’ve also ended many of their Disney-Marvel series that aired on Netflix such as Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, Daredevil, all perhaps in preparation for the inevitable?
I am putting this Netflix versus Everyone Else in regards to streaming services in an exclusively Southeast Asian perspective. Netflix is perhaps the biggest streaming service in Asia since it became internationally available with the exception of a few hostile countries (you can Google them).
In Southeast Asia (SEA), Netflix is widely available together with Malaysian-made streaming service iflix. In the Asia Pacific region, Disney+ is available in Australia, New Zealand, India, Indonesia, and recently Singapore so it won’t be long before more SEA countries are included. Malaysia is rumored to be getting Disney+ soon although it is not on the waiting list unlike Hong Kong, South Korea, and Japan.
But the main issue here is whether or not, hypothetically, Netflix can survive amid an increasingly competitive streaming landscape. I actually, in my personal opinion, believe it can and will rise above it. I am not putting in my two cents worth on who will actually prevail but on who will offer what.
Netflix is the reigning streaming king (for now) with their many in-house content as I have previously mentioned. But what makes them tick and why we as the consumer really love (or hate but just can’t quit)? What is the appeal of Netflix that we put up with that high subscription monthly rate?
If I were to pose this question publicly, I could write a thesis. However, in comparison to my local streaming service iflix, undoubtedly Netflix wins hands down. Full disclosure, I used to have an iflix subscription, ultimately abandoning it in favor of Netflix. Why did I do that? Well, because Netflix is ultimately the superior streaming service, duh. Why pay for a beat up car when you could own a souped up one, am I right?
By now everyone’s heard of Disney+ and its initial shaky start but now, everyone’s favourite meme today is without a doubt, Baby Yoda from the Star Wars TV series, The Mandalorian. It also helps that the Star Wars saga is ending with the release of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Baby Yoda has instead proven to a very popular standalone character and will obviously be for years to come.
From the look of things, Disney+ seems all new bright and shiny. However, there have been some technical glitches during its initial rollout, with some issues during its official reveal to the public. Disney+ offers the entire Disney catalog which could appeal to many people, with the addition of new television series/ movies based on its extensive library. Disney+ latest offering is Marvel’s WandaVision, including a slate of upcoming Marvel titles lined up such The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, the Loki series, among many to come. Disney+ does look formidable and could definitely pose a challenge to Netflix’s dominance.
Meanwhile, during the 2020 (and current) Covid-19 pandemic, Netflix proved its essential status when it became the go-to streaming site with more people staying in due to lockdowns. Netflix original television series that became a hit during this period were shows such as Tiger King, The Crown (4th Season), Emily in Paris, The Queen’s Gambit, and Bridgerton, among others proving that yes, Netflix still had it going on. Netflix seems to have mastered having a finger on the pulse of their viewers and really in tune with content that’s considered relevant. As Netflix has been in on the game for a while, they have the advantage of longevity, a certain familiarity to viewers. Netflix caters to their different audiences in different regions by catering their content to suit each region, ie localization, by collaborating with local creators to create content or purchase content to be streamed on Netflix.
As mentioned previously, Disney+ announced a partnership with Singapore’s StarHub to offer all their content on that republic’s network. This now makes it interesting which if you read even further, it probably won’t be long before Disney+ conquer other SEA markets. It truly will become a Netflix vs Disney+ battle in the region then, and as to who will win then, it’ll be a wait and see approach. In the end, it is us the viewers in SEA who will benefit the most.
Hyaz's Blog 
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