Streaming sites such as Netflix and YouTube have long been rivals, but I believe with this added exposure and new fanbase with time on their hands due to lockdown, one will be the victor, and this will be YouTube.
Since we’ve been legally bound indoors, a good portion of our day is left wondering what to do. With limited access to outside, and a want to consume ourselves in worlds and lives far from our own, it is no surprise that the solution for most people will be to watch something. Whether after a day of working hard from home, or a day in your comfies to draw yourself away from the panic in the world right now, submersion is a great tactic.
YouTube wins as a platform now that people are stuck in homes and production crews told to pack away. Not only does this mean more people watching how their favourite influencer starts their day in lockdown, but it means more people can create content of their own. With a surge in content comes an increased probability that people will find something they wish to view. This creates a much broader spectrum already surpassing the for the most part, outdated, content available on Netflix. The platform just can’t keep up with the speed of creation that Youtube proposes. Especially in times like these as creators are plentiful.
YouTube says its data show more than a “500 percent increase in views on March 15, compared to the daily average for rest of the year, for personal activity videos with the terms "at home" or #withme.
“Videos on meditation (55 percent), cooking (100 percent) and working out (200 percent) also increased in mid-March compared to the same time last year, the platform said.”
The figures aren't surprising, particularly with the emphasis on taking up new skills during lockdown, and having to create new ways to workout using your old 3 piece suite and a mop. The nature of YouTube is far more educational than the fully fictional vibe that Netflix gives across, (with the odd scattering of our old favorite Louis Theroux and David Attenborough of course) as seen by the figures showing people are loving watching tutorials and fun tips at home at the moment; anything to try make this lockdown as easy as possible.
Netflix’s strengths however lie in the availability of programmes to be ‘binge-watched’ in a time where patience as a phenomena is limited. Entire series’ can be watched in one evening, proving how its popularity had risen against the humble once-a-week TV show. It is also a popular choice due to its lack of adverts, and higher production values. It goes without saying that they are different types of content and therefore hard to compare, but for people who like higher production content, Netflix is obviously a firm choice. In this climate however I can see it being an issue, depending on the length of lockdown in Netflix's main production countries, UK and the US, that mass production cannot go ahead, and therefore they are going to struggle if in the long term recycled content can only be uploaded. Just like with the slowing down and use of old recordings for shows like Eastenders on BBC, Netflix’s content will be vintage and saturated past a certain point in time.
YouTube has found a way to use its adaptability to incorporate these times into its algorithm. Many ‘youtubers’ are donating money to charity through challenges and fundraisers of their own whilst stuck inside (with the help of its streaming service too) on top of YouTube's own supported #youtubers4NHSheroes initiative fronted by Saffron Barker.
However, despite my view, data from Netflix shows an increase in downloads in those countries worst hit by the outbreak. Downloads are up by 100% in Italy and 50% in Spain in the middle of February compared to the beginning.
However, Netflix also comes with a subscription fee, so although there are no adverts, you do have the sum sliding out of your bank account each month, (or if you’re like the rest of us, one of your nearest and dearest’s bank accounts, or your ex’s, no judgement here). There are also more competitors to a service like this such as Disney+, which’s release in March timed itself perfectly for a staggering increase in profits and subscriptions.
On the contrary, YouTube is overall more compatible for times like these, in which content creators are more versatile and can adapt to make videos in their own homes etc. Though some content must be altered, especially trends such as travel or groups of friends owning channels who do not live together, overall I believe more content will be available. It has always been one of YouTube’s USP’s that anyone can create and upload, and with more time indoors, people are bound to try and capitalise on the latest trends.
Although arguably lower quality content, and a paid service which isn't popular, YouTube does have the charm of being a relatable platform, that gives viewers a sense of company unlike other services. In this way, YouTube’s biggest competitor is new craze, Tik Tok, but both services produce different length content, whereas Youtube and Netflix overlap more. With youtuber series’ such as ‘Sidemen Sundays’ and Shane Dawson’s documentary style videos bringing up the average length of YouTube videos and having a series-like feel to them, it is easy to see where arguments that the two are merging in terms of similarities comes from.
If it is to compete and change my mind, Netflix needs to find and stick to its niche. The popularity of Netflix Originals and revolutionary content such as ‘Black Mirror: Bandersnatch’ is innovative and what Netflix does well. Unfortunately, Covid-19 may cause a pausing of these, and for people to look to other outlets.
Either way life may not return from online after Covid-19 is put to rest, but it could see a winner crowned in the internet's biggest fight, so choose your side.
Head over to my Instagram to have your say.