Netflix has some major competition on the horizon and while there's sure to be some struggle in competing for subscribers upon Disney+'s premiere, some good news has surfaced for the streaming giant. Apparently, recent reports show that while Netflix fell short of Quarter 2 projections in its second quarter, numbers are climbing in Quarter 3. The news and bump in subscribers have led analysts to believe that Stranger Things 3 is the reason why Netflix's numbers are on the rise.
The news broke via Bank of America Merrill Lynch, which cited data from Sensor Tower that showed Netflix's mobile-app downloads are up 18% year over year and 30% sequentially. The data (via Variety) shows that American app downloads are up 6% from the same quarter in 2018 and a whopping 13% from Quarter 2 of 2019. As for international app downloads, they're up 21% higher annually and 34% sequentially.
Per the report, analysts believe the surge in mobile app downloads were tied to the release of Stranger Things 3. The news that the 80's-set sci-fi drama is pulling in users yet again has already influenced Netflix's stock in a positive way as shares have been up since the announcement. It seems investors are ready to jump back into supporting Netflix, even amidst fears of growing competition from Disney, Apple and other major corporations.
Netflix did hint that things were looking good at the company following the release of Stranger Things Season 3. The streaming service revealed that it pulled in a ton of viewers to binge during the holiday weekend of the release, and if numbers were correct, it was the second most-watched show on television (Women's World Cup final was #1) the week it was released. Considering most people were probably concerned with cookouts and fireworks around America that weekend, that's pretty impressive.
Good news is good news, but the big question behind this is: what other shows does Netflix have that are subscriber drivers beyond Stranger Things? After all, the series won't last forever, and with the gaps between seasons, it wouldn't be surprising if some of these subscribers dropped out the minute they finished their binge. Still, the news may show that Netflix originals are still capable of doing big numbers, and that it'll take more than losing Disney movies and a Marvel TV shows to take it out of the streaming race.
8 Great Movies Coming To Netflix In September 2019
As Netflix prepares to compete with Disney+ in November, the fall television season is looking about as stacked as it ever has been. Those who have no idea what's coming up in the fall season should head on over to our fall premiere guide, and continue to stick with CinemaBlend going forward for all the latest and greatest news happening in the world of television and movies.
