As the ongoing battle for streaming supremacy continues to heat up, it's been reported that Disney has issued a ban on advertising for Netflix shows across its entertainment networks, including ABC, FX and Freeform. For the moment, ESPN is the only arm of the network that continues to host advertisements for the competitor's programming, which is sure to affect Netflix's reach across the entertainment stratosphere.
It goes without saying that there's a lot of money tied up in Netflix's master plan to showcase their wares to potential viewers. In fact, it's been previously estimated that Netflix spent close to $2 billion on advertising in 2018 alone, that's in addition to spending $15 billion (annually) on content for its premiere platform. For a time, streaming services the likes of Netflix and Hulu were the pick of the litter, but now that Disney, Apple, Quibi, CBS All Access and others are poised to join the fray, it's become all out war for subscriber dollars.
With Disney launching its own streaming service, Disney+, on November 12th, the company has started to preemptively pull their content from competing platforms. For a time, Netflix subscribers could expect for Disney's latest releases to appear on the streamer, but now films like TOY STORY 4 and CAPTAIN MARVEL will have their streaming premiere exclusively on Disney+.
When it comes to advertising, streaming services are fighting tooth and nail for ad space. You see, some companies are like a Russian doll in that one company is owned by another and so on. You pull the top off of one network only to find another looming beneath. This can help when looking to parent companies for advertising space, but once you've exhausted your resources, you're left with little choice but to brainstorm prime billboard space and confab real estate. It's a chaotic and expensive game these platforms are playing, and some have infinitely more outlets for advertising than the other.
In a statement, Disney stated the fact that there are “many more entrants looking to advertise in traditional television, and across our portfolio of networks.” For a time, Disney was looking to dis-include all competitors from advertising in their arena, though they've since allowed Apple TV+ and Amazon shows to promote their content. Unfortunately for Netflix, they remain on the outside of Disney's dividing line.
Perhaps the most exhausting aspect of this dance is that the "war of the streamers" is only just beginning. Prepare your wallets, folks, because the vampires are coming, and they're not shy about wanting to suck you dry as payment for having access to your favorite shows. Hissssss!
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