One of the key features of online entertainment is the fact that content is available for people to access at any time they want. It’s all about convenience and giving power to the user, enabling them to watch series or play games at their own leisure.
There’s been a recent shift, however, with more live content coming to the fore. Will entertainment platforms go all-in on live streaming, or will there be a blend of live and on-demand offerings?
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Netflix Leading the Way with Varied Live Content
As Netflix seeks to get back on top and defeat its streaming rivals, it has opted for a significant shift in its business model. The platform that gained fame for offering films and television series on demand is now putting a greater focus on live content. This has been a great move for the company, with its recent addition of WWE already met with widespread approval.
Netflix is also changing the boxing landscape with its own live events that have drawn in millions of viewers. The most recent of these was the Anthony Joshua fight, which was viewed live by an estimated 60 million households. These live fights attract huge audiences and Netflix is likely to come up with various other special events in the years ahead.
There’s some excellent innovation going on behind the scenes at Netflix, with some ideas for live-streamed events that have never been seen before. For instance, Alex Honnold’s Taipei 101 climb will be broadcast in real time on the streaming platform in January 2026. Events like these could lead to other incredible challenges that people can view as they happen.
Source: Pixabay
Entertainment Platforms Should Have a Mix of Live and Non-Live Content
Despite this massive increase in live content that’s clearly garnering a lot of attention, there’s still a huge audience out there that want their content to be available at any time. The great thing about the live offerings on Netflix and other streaming services is that you can watch them in real time, or you can wait and watch them later.
The same thing is true for live content in other entertainment sectors. In the online casino market, there’s a vast amount of live content available, but it’s happening all the time and people can play these games whenever they want. And even though this medium is now hugely popular, jackpot casino slots like Age of the Gods and Eye of Horus are still bigger attractions. These games are there to play at any time and highlight how it’s important for entertainment platforms to have a mixture of live and non-live content.
One thing that is notable in the age of increased live offerings is that companies like Netflix have realised the power of generating hype through this type of content. It’s led them to rethink their release model for their biggest shows, and it no longer drops all the episodes at once. For instance, the final season of Stranger Things was released in three separate parts to extend the buzz and get people talking about it more.Live content is clearly becoming an essential aspect of entertainment platforms, and there are going to be more live options cropping up in the years ahead. However, it’s unlikely that companies will go all-in on this type of content, as many people still prefer to have stuff on demand.
David Prior
David Prior is the editor of Today News, responsible for the overall editorial strategy. He is an NCTJ-qualified journalist with over 20 years’ experience, and is also editor of the award-winning hyperlocal news title Altrincham Today. His LinkedIn profile is here.
