How Netflix Won the Streaming War… Even Before It Began

Race for the silver medal is on.

Image Source: Netflix

The global entertainment and media industry is worth a cool 2.2 TRILLION dollars!

That’s roughly the same as the GDP of the whole of Africa, the world’s second-most populous continent. Africa speaks over 2000 languages, is home to 55 countries and proudly boasts the world’s longest river — the Nile — and the world’s largest desert — the Sahara.

Huge and Diverse

The size of the entertainment and media industry is so big that it is capable of accommodating hundreds — if not thousands — of players around the world, with multiple delivery systems such as TV, Internet, Cinema, Music, Newspapers, Magazines, Video and a lot more.

The entertainment industry is growing, but how? Image Source: Strategy Analytics

Global consumer spending on TV+Video is forecasted to grow from $490 billion in 2017 to $559 billion by 2020. But the catch is, nearly 90% of that growth will be from streaming services, a.k.a. OTT Video — not exactly the kind of forecast you want to see if you are from the decades-old TV industry.

Alarm bells rang loud and clear in the boardrooms of the largest TV subscription companies in the United…