SVOD content libraries: how can streamers stand out in times of rationalisation?

The accelerated pressure put on SVOD streaming providers since the beginning of the year has led streamers to take unprecedented measures to preserve their revenues and profitability ratios, including a slowdown in titles production and acquisition, ad tier launches and ARPU preservation actions. As global growth continues to be threatened the strategic changes initiated should continue to affect content and distribution approaches of platforms. While streamers have been filling their platform with large amounts of titles to create the most attractive offer and steadily refresh libraries for years, they are now looking into new ways to optimise their content investments while holding their costs in check. On which aspects of their libraries can they rely to stand out from competition and continue to attract and keep subscribers on their service? A change in the industry’s long lasting paradigm towards the need for exclusive movies and series could shake up some services’ entire strategy. Defining the role of originals and exclusivities in platforms’ catalogues is one of the key aspects to explore. Variety and quantity of content: the first assets of streaming libraries In September 2023, Netflix still had the largest SVOD catalogue in most European countries, except for the UK and Ireland, where Amazon offered more choice to its users. On average, it provides about 8,000 to 9,000 films and TV show seasons in each country. Its closest rival is Amazon Prime Video, which offers between 1,000 titles in Eastern Europe and the Baltics and 10,000 titles in the UK and Ireland on its SVOD section. Disney+ has a smaller but still substantial catalogue of between 2,500 and 3,500 films and TV show seasons, depending on the country. Apple TV+, on the other hand, has the smallest library among major streamers with less than 300 titles across the region. Netflix’s leading position in terms of library size matches the streamer’s long lasting dominance over the European market.  The volume of libraries can be even more important for some companies aiming to offer the widest range of services within their own ecosystem, and thus retain customers with an option for every need. This is the case for Amazon, which links its streaming service with its e-commerce business, Apple, which connects its streaming service with its devices, and Google, which ties its service with its data collation and advertising operations. For these actors, having an extensive library is crucial to retain users within their ecosystem and create synergies with their other services. This is especially clear when looking at the distribution access mix, including TVOD and EST titles. While Netflix and Disney+ only have SVOD titles in their libraries, while Amazon has up to 7 times more titles on TVOD or EST...