Netflix (for some…)

This is nothing new – Brazilians have already realized the advantages of streaming services: lots of content for an affordable price, which you're free to consume whenever and wherever you want. No commercials, no rules, no obligations.

It's obvious to think that cable TV is the one losing the most from this. And that's a fact. According to the 5th edition of the Geek Power survey, conducted by Omelete Group in partnership with Ibope Conecta in December 2017, cable TV subscribers dropped from 85% to 68% in two years. Anatel itself had already mentioned that the sector lost more than 300,000 consumers between 2016 and 2017.

We can attribute this decline to several factors: the price of the service in a less-than-encouraging economic scenario, less exclusive content, poor delivery quality, and even the rigidity of the packages.

And if the impact has been overwhelming for cable TV operators, how has streaming affected broadcast television?

In the United States, for example, some channels have started adopting a policy of cutting commercials during prime time, claiming there's a growing need to rethink their format.

In Brazil, it's been rumored for a long time that Netflix could work together with broadcasters. The reverse already happens: soap operas from Record and SBT, for instance, are featured in the provider's catalog.

Rede Globo, the country's biggest producer of entertainment content, is trying to reduce the impact by investing more and more in its own streaming platform, GloboPlay. There, subscribers can watch soap operas, series, and shows through an affordable subscription. Many of them are even made available before they air nationwide.

However, the type of content is exactly the same for both media. And here's another challenge – if there's a "solution" for this new form of consumption, producing it has become increasingly demanding.

Director José Padilha, for example, has mentioned in several interviews that the streaming model allows the work to be bolder, and creatively, the team can be freer and more candid in their productions.

Meanwhile, actor Marco Pigossi, considered one of the new generation's global heartthrobs, didn't renew his contract with the network and is currently filming "Tidelands," Netflix's new Australian series. It's worth remembering: the industry says the network doesn't lend its artists to the platform, as it does for film and theater productions, since it's been feeling the impact of the competition.

We know television still plays a very strong role in Brazilians' lives. But, undoubtedly, new media formats have been pushing traditional media outlets to reinvent themselves, including in content production and casting.

Sources:

Netflix (for some…)

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