Amazon's Prime Video has overtaken Netflix as the most subscribed to streaming service in the United States. Both Netflix and Prime Video are streaming giants in their own rights, each having tens of millions of subscribers nationwide, numbers that enter the hundreds of millions when taking global audiences into account. Netflix has been the top streaming platform in the US for quite some time, in no small part because of a wide library of TV shows and movies, including popular original productions like Stranger Things and The Umbrella Academy.
According to Deadline, however, Netflix's reign as the top streaming platform in the US was ended by Prime Video in 2022. Data from the research firm Parks Associates indicates that Prime Video has become the No. 1 streaming service in the United States as of 2022. While Parks Associates didn't disclose how they were able to determine Prime Video's overtaking of Netflix, they did claim the data reflects the number of subscribers to each streaming service as of September 2022.
Why Prime Video Grew More Popular Than Netflix
Prime Video overtaking Netflix in the US isn't too surprising when taking into account how much more Amazon offers with an Amazon Prime subscription. As an online marketplace first and foremost, Amazon Prime subscribers can get enhanced deals and delivery options for what they buy on Amazon, alongside access to Prime Video as an added bonus. The multifaceted nature of Amazon Prime lends itself to more consumers, including those who may see Prime Video as a fun little bonus to their shopping spree savings. Due to Prime Video being one facet of Amazon Prime, it's not out of the question for many of the streaming service's subscriptions to be people who purchased Amazon Prime for all its many benefits.
Aside from the digital and physical benefits Amazon Prime has when compared to Netflix, Prime Video's lineup of originals may also be another major reason for their new top spot. The streaming service has adapted many popular books onto the small screen, including Man in the High Castle, Reacher, and more recently The Peripheral. Prime Video also aired The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 1 earlier this year, the popular franchise likely aiding in the number of subscribers they received in 2022. Prime Video's diverse number of programs pulled from popular books and franchises likely allowed it to shine brighter than Netflix over the last year.
Can Netflix Return To Former Top Spot Over Prime Video?
While Prime Video has overtaken Netflix in the US in subscriber numbers, it doesn't negate the number of popular programs like Stranger Things Netflix still has airing on its platform. However, the recent cancelation of such fairly popular series as The Midnight Club and Fate: The Winx Saga indicates that Netflix is still trying to find its footing in the now-competitive streaming marketplace. So long as Netflix embraces its strong-performing shows like The Sandman and Squid Game, the company still has a shot at becoming the top streaming service in the US in 2023. It's possible Netflix can also learn what Amazon's Prime Video is doing differently, such as airing one episode weekly instead of a full season at once, to see if those methods can help their own performance.
Source: Deadline