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Its been (another) brutal year for most of the players in the streaming space.
But the focus on short-term gains comes at price.
Read on to see who claimed the streaming crown this year and where all the other major platforms landed.
All but four panelists ranked the streaming behemoth No.
1, the closest weve ever come to a consensus choice.
It will be hard for anyone to come close to the power Netflix has.
Of course, respect for Netflix doesnt always translate intolove.
Just because everyone knows you and fears you doesnt mean youre not a plague.
Coming in a distant second with our panel was Disney+/Hulu with Max a close third.
1, and it wasnt because of all those superhero shows.
The FX factor is tremendous, as Nicholas Quah puts it.
Jen Chaney agrees, saying FX and Hulu are among the few streamers/networks with serious creative integrity.
But P+ always seems to find a way to make the least of its strengths.
.What the Industry Thinks
.
The offscreen drama for Paramount is way better than anything they have onscreen.
If they had aReal Housewives of Shari Redstone, they would be No.
Studio executive
Obviously in turmoil and impossible to do business with for a while.
Veteran showrunner
Has always felt better than it gets credit for.
1
A scrappy service that often punches above its weight but hobbled by its lack of breadth and resources.
1
My dads favorite streaming service and, oddly, the streaming home of RuPaul.
Otherwise, I cant think of a reason to recommend it.
Former web connection executive No.
1
Merge with Peacock already.
Of course, NBCU execs would no doubt argue these are allgoodthings, and maybe they are.
Slowly and steadily, moving up the rankings by playing to sports-content and web link-content offerings.
Unscriptedproducer
The Olympics is really going to help.
2
If you love Bravo programming or live sports, Peacock might be a priority.
But for me, its mostly just a grab bag of random titles.
2
They should rename this Bravo.
We watch it frequently because of that.
Veteran showrunner
Merge with Paramount already.
Apple also did okay with our industry insiders, who ranked it a respectable fourth.
Who are they making shows for?
Former web link executive No.
2
Proof that just because you have the most money doesnt make you the most popular or necessary.
Reality-TV producer
Clearly star/prestige fuckers.
They want to be the new HBO.
Someone should tell them who actually succeeds at this goal for a fraction of the priceFX.
(Start buying ideas andmakestars, instead of trying to buy them.)
1
I think Apple has done a good job of trying to be the HBO of streaming.
Not every show is great, but I love the batting average.
The glossy marketing all looks the same.
Nothing stands out for its own personality or attitude.
Former data pipe executive No.
1
Consistently high-quality programming that most people have never heard of.
Theyve been wallowing all year.
Who is watching these shows?
And why are they all about space?
Is this a pyramid scheme?
Meanwhile,Reacherracked up big numbers for its second season last winter, many critics were fond ofMr.
1
Overall, the UI still has 80s cigarette-vending-machine vibes.
There are no must-watch shows on Prime Video for me, though I do enjoy a couple.
Streaming-industry consultant
This service has a surprisingly large library that it somehow still does not leverage particularly well.
Its interface still needs work.
Bezos wants to be able to go to the Oscars.
PR-industry veteran
The interface is messy, and a lot of their stuff is just bland.
Even I, a middle-aged dad, cant muster any enthusiasm for the next Dad TV installmentJack ReacherorJack RyanorBosch.
2
Feeling like the Costco of streaming.
Good programming but like a scavenger hunt to find a desired program.
Former connection executive No.
David Zaslav would make a great CEO of G.E.
in 1985; he is a terrible boss of an entertainment company in 2024.
He has no feel for the creative at all.
It still seems like just the place where you wade through a bunch of crap to watch HBO shows.
Veteran showrunner
A great streaming service hobbled by terrible management and destructive penny-pinching.
Reality-TV producer
So many strong scripted shows that I can name easily and had the audience talking.
Television-publicity executive
Its not Max, its HBO.
It will always just be HBO.
And they still reign in premium.
Is this the last year they rank so high?
If I was a bettor, I wouldnt put.
Studio executive
HBO Max was a blessing; Max is a blight.
Television-publicity executive
Outside the Beatles doc, I keep Disney+ for the kid.
Hulu, on the other hand, is all-around good.
Other offerings have an air of self-importance, maybe a little pretentious.
Former web connection executive No.
3
They do need to stop spending money on Marvel and Lucas and make more SHOWS.
For a company that is so big, they just dont have a lot to watch.
2
Definitely a stronger product with Hulu attached.
Otherwise, D+ alone feels like it has lost some mojo.
Former internet executive No.
Were in an era when your show almost MUST be on Netflix to be in the conversation.
Then your heart sinks as you realize that they wont.
1
The best all-around service, from UI to content offering, usability, and value for the price.
Theyve had two of the most-discussed shows withBeefandBaby Reindeer.Is two enough?
But Netflix still feels like the only must-have service.
Just because everyone knows you and fears you does not mean youre not a plague.
2
Theyre a simply dominant service.
I dont evenlikethe shows that much.
But theres just something new every week.
Their movies are awful.
2
The kings even if I can barely remember anything I watch on there a week later.
PR-industry veteran
Additional research by Anusha Praturu.
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