> When Netflix pivoted into content, they needed to get creatives and passionate people in charge rather than the tech-world PMs they ended up putting in charge.

Very, very true. Disney's magic is their strength as a content brand. Not just their core products; with ESPN you know exactly what it's going to be, from live sports to documentaries.

Netflix made an amazing pivot from physical to digital distribution, and that will be studied in business schools forever.

But they failed to pivot from digital distribution to content. They knew they needed to, they spent billions of dollars trying to, but they didn't understand that content has to be the primary brand identity. Distribution is an implementation detail.

> But they failed to pivot from digital distribution to content.

There is a niche that no one fills, that I'm hoping Netflix shifts into: "Popular series was canceled? Let's pick it up and give it a final season!"

They're doing it with Manifest right now. It was on NBC and canceled after 3 out of 5 planned seasons, and the creator was trying to figure out how he could finish the plot as a single movie, then Netflix bought it and gave him an entire 20 episodes to finish the plot - almost the entire two missing seasons. First half was just released a few days ago.

No one fills that niche because finishing out shows that were otherwise cancelled, is unlikely to be a growth market. At best, you attract a dwindling set of diehard fans, but the reason the show was cancelled is probably because the audience for it wasn't growing, or the economics of producing the show could not be justified against the size of audience attracted.

Might there be some diamonds in the rough? Sure. The Expanse seemed to do well enough with its second chance on Prime Video after Syfy cancelled it after 3 seasons. But that seems to be an exception rather than the rule.

The problem with Disney is that if you are not into… well Disney stuff then there is nothing to watch. On HBO you just get quality, in many different genres and formats.

Depending which country you’re in or bundle you choose, Disney gives you:

- all the fox content which is a massive range of genres

- Disney animation and live action stuff (including Pixar)

- Marvel and Star Wars

- national geographic documentaries

- a bunch of shows on Hulu or from FX

The range is actually quite a bit higher overall.

In the US these are split out over multiple services but in most of the rest of the world, Disney merged it in to the one app.

I currently have the latest Pixar film in my recommended list next to The Bear and Reservation Dogs.

Hulu has some good content. Disney+ is a well designed service, but I am just not into their storytelling/world-building (super heroes, Star Wars, etc). Original Star Wars was fairly watchable sci-fi, but modern Disney is unbearably banal (for adults, still probably good for kids).

I get the bundle for free from Verizon but never login. Thanks for the reminder that it also includes National Geographic, can't remember if the original Cosmos series were produced by them. Will log in to browse the catalog.

idk about you but I know of atleast 15 gems made by Netflix. but majority are cartoons.

15 is nothing tho compared to all of their flops.

if anyone likes cartoons checkout: centaurworld - awesome wrap up on the last episode dogs in space Maya and the three dead end Cuphead over the moon Klaus

Klaus, Jingle Jangle, and Christmas Chronicles are on our annual Christmas watch list. Some of the best holiday movies ever made.

Centaurworld was really something else, very... Gen Z in its sensibilities. We enjoyed it a lot. The Cuphead show is way better than it has any right to be too. Dogs in Space seemed like fun but it didn't land with my kids for whatever reason, so we haven't watched much.

Everything about Klaus seems like something I wouldn't like... I'm iffy about Santa movies, I definitely don't like the "backstory which explains every minor detail"... and yet, it's fantastic. It somehow breaks through schlocky fake sincerity and makes it to real sincerity in a way that most shows & movies don't.