For Netflix, combating one of its biggest threats to screen time could mean duking it out in a battle royale. It turns out the massive streaming platform has some beef with Fortnite.
In its latest earnings report, Netflix noted some potential threats to shareholders after reporting its quarterly revenue of $4.2 billion, lining out where it thinks the real trouble lies when it comes to losing viewership.
“We compete with (and lose to) Fortnite more than HBO. When YouTube went down globally for a few minutes in October, our viewing and signups spiked for that time,” the report states. “There are thousands of competitors in this highly-fragmented market vying to entertain consumers and low barriers to entry for those with great experiences.”
The statement has drawn a variety of reactions from social media.
https://twitter.com/manjusrii/status/1086416296542011392
Mindshare and how people use their time, for starters. Most people probably don't Netflix and Fortnite at the same time.
— Zag (@geoffkeene) January 19, 2019
Netflix or FORTNITE!!!!!?????? Pick one
— Venompool55 (@ZainSid29939024) January 19, 2019
Yeah, I like Netflix more than Fortnite
— AxelSantiago (@SuperAvengerMan) January 18, 2019
You bet your ass I’m playing some Fortnite tonight instead of watching Netflix. Fortnite Friday baby!
— Scott Stevens (@skiz999) January 18, 2019
In regards to the new @netflix numbers here's a small, personal anecdote: I have two daughters 14 & 11 years old. There are two things they watch: Netflix & Youtube. Unless I suggest it, nothing else even shows up on their radar.
— Gavin Purcell (@gavinpurcell) January 17, 2019
@netflix baby I don’t care about fortnite I just need Bandersnatch part 2 https://t.co/PzSPh9Ha07
— kynergy 💅🏽✨ (@kstew4u) January 18, 2019
Netflix says its arch enemy isn't HBO. https://t.co/TZwti5L4N6 pic.twitter.com/QzX154bU57
— Nick Turner (@NewsyNick) January 17, 2019
Netflix is getting at the very real struggle of figuring out what type of entertainment you’re going to be engaged in for the evening. You might decide to queue up a few episodes of You, or you might decide that a few games of Fortnite sound more appealing at the time.
The comments are surprising, however, given that Fortnite isn’t technically a direct competitor to Netflix. That’d be streaming services like Hulu or premium channels like HBO.
Netflix’s concerns about Fortnite and other video games taking over users’ screens could even be a driving force behind properties like Black Mirror: Bandersnatch or the special versions of games like Minecraft: Story Mode on the platform.
The battle for viewers’ eyes rages on. Where will yours be?
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H/T Twitter