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Monday, 27 May 2019

Netflix vs. the world: The battle is on for streaming supremacy

Netflix versus the world: Netflix may be the go-to source for films and TV shows for 149 mn people worldwide, but competitors are lining up to change that, this video from the Wall Street Journal explains (watch, runtime: 04:48). Along with existing rivals Amazon, Hulu and Apple, new rivals Comcast, AT&T and Disney are all gearing up to launch streaming services of their own within a year. Films and TV shows licensed to Netflix over the years could leave the service amid (a) heightened competition or (b) companies like Disney (which own top properties) clawing the rights back to make them exclusive to their own services. Think: So whether it’s Comcast’s streaming service offering The Office or Parks & Recreation, AT&T’s Warner Media showing Friends, or Disney+ offering the Star Wars and Marvel Studios films.

The upshot: Subscribers to streaming services in emerging markets including Egypt could be locked out of (legal) ways of streaming their favorite shows.

And then there’s Egyptian TV shows versus YouTube: It’s not quite the same playing field, but Egyptian Media Company has also entered the streaming space with its app, Watch iT. The app is meant to protect Egyptian shows and films from copyright infringement as a result of without-charge online streaming and piracy, the company said in a statement yesterday.

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