The past 48 hours in the streaming services industry have been marked by significant deals, new partnerships, and notable shifts in strategy among major players. Fubo recently closed its merger with Disney, integrating Hulu Plus Live TV and reaching 1.63 million paid subscribers in North America. This represents a modest 1.1 percent year over year growth but comes with a 2.3 percent drop in revenue, underscoring challenges with profitability despite scale. The merger also resolved antitrust litigation, making the combined entity the sixth largest paid TV service in North America.
Netflix has moved aggressively to expand beyond video content, negotiating exclusive licensing agreements for video podcasts. After a recent deal with Spotify, Netflix is now in talks with iHeartMedia to bring popular shows like The Breakfast Club and Jay Shetty Podcast exclusively to Netflix, cutting them off from YouTube. The strategy aims to capture the growing share of viewers who prefer video podcasts and boost engagement as YouTube remains the dominant platform for podcast viewership.
Disney Plus is pushing further into international diversification, announcing a multi-year partnership with South Korean streamer Tving and CJ ENM to bring up to 60 Korean dramas and originals to Japanese audiences. This is one of Disney Plus’s most substantial regional expansions, reflecting a broader trend toward local and original content to drive growth outside the saturated U.S. market. New launches began November 5, coinciding with the fifth anniversary of Disney Plus Japan.
Meanwhile, broader market contraction continues. Industry-wide, total streaming market size has shrunk to about 75 percent of its former peak, as platforms reduce content spending and prioritize profitability over subscriber growth. This pivot marks an end to the so-called Peak TV era, with services evaluating the returns from high-cost originals and making more selective investments.
Supply chain and advertising trends are also evolving rapidly. Acxiom and ReachTV have formed a new partnership to launch a data-powered travel media network, reaching more than 50 million monthly airport travelers with precise omnichannel advertising. This move is designed to tap into the seventy percent of US GDP represented by consumer spending, offering brands new engagement opportunities.
Taken together, these developments show how streaming leaders are working to balance growth, exclusivity, and regional relevance amid market contraction. Compared to earlier reporting, there is a clear shift away from aggressive content spending and a greater focus on maximizing core audiences, forging exclusive deals, and expanding globally with targeted partnerships.
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