by Ron Swarn
In fact, they’re starting to lose control in some areas. Which is not a bad thing at all – more competition is always great for customers. Even if you’re happy with the content you currently have available on Netflix, it’s a good idea to be on the lookout for quality competitors. There are some ways to make Netflix more exciting, like unlocking additional content with a Virtual Private Network (VPN). A VPN for Australia could give you access to new films and shows and most importantly this great tool can be utilised on your phone. But sooner or later, you will want to check out what other companies have to offer.
YouTube
Not many expected YouTube to be such an active participant in this game. The service seemed to be moving in a different direction in the beginning. But recently, they’ve been making a lot of progress as a premium subscription platform. It still has a long way to go, and the company doesn’t seem to be pushing as hard as Netflix yet. But many are speculating that YouTube could become the market leader in the world of on-demand streaming in many places.
If you are facing a problem of geoblocking restrictions on YouTube, it’s highly recommended to turn to a VPN in Australia and choose a server which will help to bypass them.
HBO
HBO is already providing a lot of competition for Netflix. The studio has a long history with the TV world, and they had a solid plan from the start. So far, they’ve been expanding very well in many markets. One of the key advantages HBO holds over Netflix is their exclusives. Even though they often find their way to other platforms sooner or later, HBO still gets a lot of traffic in the prime months of those important shows.
This has allowed them to establish a very large and loyal fan base. It looks like they fully intend to continue their expansion, too. It will be interesting to see how large HBO could grow compared to Netflix, as they are a company with the full potential to give them a good challenge.
Amazon Prime
Amazon is another company with a good plan from what we’ve seen so far. The fact that they have a lot of resources at their disposal is an obvious advantage for their operations. Amazon is one of the largest companies in the world and a major player in the tech market. Their library was impressive in the beginning, and it still is. The team behind the service seems to have a good vision for how they should expand into new markets. They are also competent when it comes to choosing shows and films for the service.
One of the great advantages of Amazon’s service is that it’s available in many countries. The number keeps climbing, and Amazon has an apparent plan to expand into as many markets as possible. Their localisation has been praised as being above what most of their competitors have to offer. Amazon seems to be even more popular in certain Western European countries. At the same time, Netflix has been losing popularity in that area due to the restrictive nature of their platform. Many shows and films are still not available in countries from that region. The reason usually given is that there is no localisation available. Users have regularly expressed their disappointment at the fact that they can’t even stream in English.
Hulu
Service with a long-running history, Hulu is still around and quite active in their field. The company is a bit exclusive when it comes to availability, but that could change. It won’t be surprising to see them expanding in the future. Many are predicting that Hulu could be a major player in the global streaming market at some point. It might be early to make such predictions, but it’s true that the service is showing a lot of promise already.
They have landed some great deals in the past and obtaining the rights to South Park gave them a lot of exposure. Hulu is very active in their promotion as well, and they have partnered with YouTube in the past.
The coming years will be fascinating for those with an active interest in the streaming market. Companies are going to rise and fall, and it’s impossible to predict who’s going to survive in the end. It’s possible that some of the popular streaming services of today won’t even be around a few years from now. One thing is certain though – Netflix will not be the king of the industry forever. It’s good to know what the alternatives are and explore them in detail.
Starting using ExpressVPN to watch iPlayer a while ago. It’s another option.
Surely a mention of the local options without a VPN would be worthwhile? Stan is providing great material, and Kanopy is also another solid option.