Streaming Wars

Streaming services of all kinds are the centre of our media and music diet. But it's a world full of rapid change, and it's fair to say that the streaming wars have only just begun.

The Blockbuster bricks and mortar video chain famously blinked in the face of buying Netflix in 2000. And the rest is history. A history written by streaming companies including Disney+, Amazon Prime, Paramount, Apple TV, Spotify, ESPN+, and Netflix itself. It's a world turned upside down where tech companies have become media companies and media companies have become tech companies.

In Streaming Wars, journalist Charlotte Henry investigates the story of contemporary media streaming and the creation of films and television, music and sport in an increasingly diverse, disruptive, and disintermediated landscape. Looking at the companies, the content and controversies, this book scrutinizes the key individuals behind these seismic media shifts.

So what happens now? Facing up to the future, the author shows us that we're at a key moment in the streaming wars. From password sharing, ad-supported tiers, live TV, and the costs of outbidding rivals, through to rebundling, broadcast retrenchment, and the radical impact of AI, Streaming Wars asks what's next for customers, companies, and content.