In the early days of Netflix, subscribers used the program to catch up with shows such as Breaking Bad that were missed when originally aired on television. However, with the rise of Netflix originals (which were introduced in 2013), Hollywood and independent film industries are slowly losing popularity. For some time, this streaming application used to be a Plan B if plans were cancelled (no biggie, I’ll just stay home and watch Netflix). But with the increase of the streaming platform’s popularity and more content being released daily, subscribers are using the program more and more — and are starting to go to the movies less. Ask yourself: when was the last time you physically went to a movie theatre and when was the last time you watched Netflix? If you are subscribed to it, chances are you probably chose the latter.
You may recognize some of Netflix’s top original shows from your own streaming history (or your recommended bar) such as “Stranger Things,” “Money Heist,” “The Crown” and “Black Mirror.” I’m not going to review each show (if you want to read one, Digital Trends ranks the top shows), but, according to BBC, streaming services today such as Netflix have more subscribers than cable subscriptions. As of October 2018, Netflix has a total of 700 originals, with as many as 80 more on their way within the next year. One of the biggest changes for the company as a result of the increase of time spent watching Netflix-produced content is the budget. Netflix has said that it will have spent $8 billion compared to the $7 billion spent in 2017. In September, Netflix also announced the premier date for “Mystery Science Theater 3000”’s second season, a reboot of the 1988 show “MST3K”, which is Nov. 22.
As one of the most popular streaming platforms today, Netflix provides audiences with the best of both worlds — licensed content, but also original content. This original content may not be the reason you sign up for a subscription, but chances are, if you do have one, there is at least one original movie or show in your history.
