Netflix: With Weekly Shows Coming, is binging on life Support

The world of streaming is changing and for once Netflix might be playing catch up. With the Disney+ streaming service, Hulu, and Apple (more than likely) weekly release schedule, the binge model might be dying.

Per comicbook.com via FanSided

“The new season of The Great British Baking Show (Collection 7) is the first program to get the updated weekly treatment. It has usually been released differently in the US and UK, allowing Netflix to release it all at once. However, this time around, Netflix really wants to keep the suspense of eliminations alive”

And

“The Great British Baking Show isn’t the only reality competition series dropping the binge for Netflix. The streaming service released the first look at Rhythm & Flow last week, a rap competition series featuring T.I., Cardi B, and Chance the Rapper as judges. This show will be released in groups each and every week.”

Netflix set the tone for the stream model. What originally started as a DVD rental service pivoted to on-demand streaming. With new kids on the block with die-hard fans and customer loyalty Netflix has some serious competition. Without being the lowest price service anymore and losing a ton of shows to competitors, the streaming service will have to get creative.

They already have a ton of in-house originals that keep fans coming back. Unfortunately for them, their current model will kill them in the long term. By releasing all their content at once, fans can jump on for a month binge all their favorite shows with shortened seasons, then cancel in favor of their competition.

By pivoting to a weekly release schedule, even if its only for competitions for now, they’re testing the water on how it effects their current subscribers. If Netflix starts to lose long term sustainability, we can expect more of their original programming to face a weekly release schedule as well.