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Former executive reveals 'dirty little secret' about Netflix and other streaming platforms
The cancellation of shows like ‘Star Wars: The Acolyte’ has an explanation beyond ratings.
Netflix began its journey with its own productions, which almost always had continuity. When the time came, it began canceling series, something that continues to this day. Just like the linear channels, the platforms get rid of less successful or more expensive products. In the year 2024, Star Wars: The Acolyte was one of the victims, even though Lucasfilm was already looking for directors for the second season. As former NBC president Tom Nunan revealed in TheWrap, there is a dark secret that explains these cancellations.
Even companies that seem to have unlimited resources, such as Prime Video or Apple TV+, have realized that developing “dozens, if not hundreds, of shows is not sustainable,” he explained. The other “little secret” of the business is that “the most robust numbers come from their library, not their new shows. Many of those hits come from licensing between streaming platforms, so companies like HBO license their own productions to competitors.
Does fan pressure help when a show is canceled?
When The Acolyte was canceled, some fans started a Change.org campaign to get Disney to change its mind, but it doesn’t seem like fan pressure is enough to reverse such a situation. “If a monster streamer like Netflix chooses to cancel” a product beloved by certain fans “they have that luxury” because ”they’re so dominant right now.” He is referring to more niche content that can still be found on other smaller platforms.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Netflix and the other platforms grew because people were trapped and had more time to spend on entertainment. As the situation returned to normal, Netflix’s competitors began to suffer the consequences. In fact, both Max and Disney+ have changed their strategy and are looking at traditional theatrical releases again. A case in point is Moana 2, which was originally conceived as a series and was eventually reconfigured as a movie.
Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters, CEOs of Netflix, said that series aimed at smaller audiences had to have more modest budgets. That’s why they canceled bigger, more expensive shows that only a small group of people liked. They opted for a model of less quantity and more quality, something that Bob Iger, CEO of Disney, wanted to transfer to his platform.
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