1. Netflix. With over 232 million subscribers to its name as of the first quarter of 2023, Netflix remains the most popular streaming service. One of the keys to Netflix's success has been time.
Amazon Prime Video has a larger overall library than Netflix, and it has more movies as well. You can also buy and rent movies and TV shows through the same interface, which isn't an option on Netflix. Both services create original content, but Netflix has the edge.
Over 100 million subscribers
Netflix, Inc. Amazon.com, Inc.
Paid, ad-supported video on demand services such as Disney+ Basic and Netflix Basic now make up the fastest-growing category in streaming, with 33% growth year on year from 2021 to 2022 (Kantar).
Subscribers: #1
Netflix is still considered the king of streaming, though Disney (above) and Amazon (our sleeper below) could both make counterclaims. Netflix ended 2022 with 230.75 million global paid subscribers, up nearly eight million from one quarter earlier.
Our View: Spotify Takes the Lead
Even though it has higher revenues, a larger customer base, and a better track record of execution, we believe Netflix is in a tough spot. The loss of subscribers in the last quarter has spooked analysts and caused growth projections to sink in recent months.
At the close of Q2, Netflix had 220.67 million paid memberships globally (see below), down 970,000 quarter-on-quarter. (For context: Spotify had 182 million subscribers globally at the close of Q1.)
fuboTV offers more channels than any other live TV streaming service in the industry. That means you'll get channels for news, sports, lifestyle, kids, and entertainment. But one part that makes fuboTV stand out is the number of sports channels you'll get access to.
Price: Disney Plus Costs Less, But Netflix Has More Options
All content is available with or without ads. All plans lets you watch on 4 screens simultaneously. Save when you bundle with other streaming services.
Both services can stream at 1080p HD and 4K UHD resolution, but Netflix requires you to upgrade to its most expensive Premium plan to gain access to around 600 4K titles. Prime Video's 4K content is included with its single plan, but the selection is smaller than Netflix's.
Netflix's new pricing strategy has come at a great cost to the company. As it has lost a significant number of subscribers over the past three months. The company implemented various solutions in an attempt to address this issue.
Best streaming service overall
There's a reason why Netflix has become shorthand for streaming in general. The former movie rental service evolved into the top-tier streaming app that's a must-have in 2023.
Flexibility. The biggest advantage Netflix is giving to its customers that they can watch any content with convenience. They can watch content on-demand and on any screen they want. Netflix is making sure to give smooth experiences with personalized tastes.
As a music enthusiast, it's no easy feat to choose between Spotify and Apple Music. Spotify currently has over 515 million users and 210 million Premium subscribers worldwide. Spotify offers a free tier option as well as a popular music-sharing experience.
As of Q4 2022, the Europe, Middle East, and Africa have the highest number of paying customers. They gather around 76.7 million Netflix customers between them. With 74.2 million members, U.S.A. and Canada are in the second position. With 41.6 million members, Latin America ranks third.
Spotify statistics show that Drake is the most-streamed artist of all time on the app as of 2023.
As of June 2023, Canadian rapper Drake is the most-streamed artist of all time on Spotify, while American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift is the most-streamed female artist.
"Blinding Lights" by the Weeknd is the most-streamed song on Spotify, with over 3.6 billion streams.
Around the world, Netflix has 222 million subscribers. In its biggest markets, however, it has an appreciable portion of all households: in the US and Canada, 75m out of a total 142m households have a subscription to Netflix.
So why did Netflix lose subscribers? The subscriber loss "seems to be due to increased competition from other streaming services, adverse global economic circumstances, and the fact that the company already has a very high level of subscribers," says Ferran G.
Globally, Spotify is the most popular streaming platform, followed closely by the likes of Apple Music and Amazon Music. However, if we only take the US into consideration, then Apple Music comes out on top with over 49.5 million subscribers as of 2021. It is followed closely by Spotify, with 47.7 million subscribers.
The main advantage of cable is that it generally offers a greater variety of content compared to streaming services. With cable, you can access your favorite premium channels as well as international programming and live sports.