• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
Tech

Netflix Is Winning the Streaming Race—But for How Long?

By
Mathew Ingram
Mathew Ingram
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Mathew Ingram
Mathew Ingram
Down Arrow Button Icon
March 10, 2017, 4:40 PM ET

There’s no question that Netflix is currently the king of the over-the-top streaming-video providers, with a service that reaches more than 80 million users in over 200 countries, and hit shows that drive millions of those users to “binge-watch” entire seasons in a matter of days.

All this has put Netflix in an enviable spot, with enough cash to acquire whatever movie and TV projects it chooses to bid on, and a market cap in the $60 billion range—the same league as media and entertainment giants like 21st Century Fox and Time Warner. There has even been talk that Apple might want to acquire the company.

As dominant as Netflix (NFLX) is, however, not everyone is convinced that this leadership position is going to last as more and more competitors move into the streaming space, especially in the United States.

Count Morningstar Research as one of the skeptics. In a recent research report that took a look at the video-on-demand market, the investment management firm said that while Netflix is the clear winner in the space right now: “We have reservations about its ability to meet or exceed market expectations around future subscriber growth and margin expansion.”

The reasons for that skepticism include increasing competition from companies like Amazon (AMZN), which recently expanded its Prime Video offering to more than 200 countries, and has even deeper pockets that Netflix. It is expected to spend as much as $5 billion on content this year.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

In addition to the online retailing giant, there’s also Hulu—which is launching a “skinny bundle” cable-killer service soon—and a growing list of smaller providers such as CBS All Access (CBS).

Although the company has expanded internationally, Morningstar’s analysts say they see battles in the future with local content providers, and also a risk that demand runs head-first into a lack of broadband access in some of those developing markets.

In the U.S., Netflix has been able to compensate for some of the churn in its user base (from people unsubscribing) and the tightening of its margins by boosting its prices, including a recent “un-grandfathering” exercise that removed some of the early discounts that users got.

Morningstar, however, believes that U.S. consumers “have greater price sensitivity than previously expected,” and that this could serve to cap Netflix’s ability to raise prices and combat churn.

Competition from Amazon, Hulu, and others could lead to Netflix having to pay higher prices for the content it wants, which could also impact margins, the research firm says. Movie festivals like Sundance have already turned into a kind of bidding war between Netflix and Amazon.

The streaming giant has also expanded into new content areas, including comedy and “unscripted” or reality TV shows, both into which Netflix has been pouring money. But each foray into a new area also brings the risk that the content isn’t going to generate the returns Netflix requires.

Bottom line: Morningstar believes Netflix has a “fair market value” of just $73 a share. Because the stock is currently trading for $140 a share, that means a potential decline of almost 50% in value if it were to return to what Morningstar thinks is a fair price. It hasn’t been that low since 2015.

Instead of investing in Netflix, the research firm argues that investors who want exposure to the streaming-video market should be buying some of the traditional content companies instead, including 21st Century Fox (FOX) and Disney (DIS). These companies have a wider “moat” protecting them from competitors than Netflix does, the company says.

Although Netflix will likely continue to be one of the industry’s strongest players, Morningstar says, its valuation is stretched to the breaking point based on some of the risks and challenges the company is going to face over the coming months.

About the Author
By Mathew Ingram
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

Anduril CEO Brian Schimpf
NewslettersTerm Sheet
Brian Schimpf has been quietly running Anduril since its earliest days. And once he’s talking, he has a lot to say
By Allie GarfinkleMay 8, 2026
2 hours ago
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission headquarters in Washington, D.C.
AICFO Daily
Is quarterly reporting hurting investors or helping them? The SEC just weighed in—and the debate is far from over
By Sheryl EstradaMay 8, 2026
2 hours ago
Apple AirPods Pro in Cupertino, California, on Sept. 9, 2025. (Photo: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg/Getty Images)
NewslettersFortune Tech
Apple AirPods with cameras are coming
By Andrew NuscaMay 8, 2026
3 hours ago
Match Group CEO Spencer Rascoff
SuccessJobs
Match Group’s CEO revived a shuttered Tinder internship program for Gen Z—and received over 30,000 applications for just 27 spots
By Emma BurleighMay 8, 2026
3 hours ago
Wall Street piles into ‘NACHO’ bet on looming oil shortages in June
EconomyMarkets
Wall Street piles into ‘NACHO’ bet on looming oil shortages in June
By Jim EdwardsMay 8, 2026
3 hours ago
Why CEO Bill McDermott says ServiceNow’s 39% stock crash is Saaspocalypse ‘nonsense’ and why AI will make it a trillion-dollar company
AIServiceNow
Why CEO Bill McDermott says ServiceNow’s 39% stock crash is Saaspocalypse ‘nonsense’ and why AI will make it a trillion-dollar company
By Alexei OreskovicMay 8, 2026
6 hours ago

Most Popular

California farmers must destroy 420,000 peach trees after Del Monte closes its canneries and cancels more than $550 million in long-term contracts
North America
California farmers must destroy 420,000 peach trees after Del Monte closes its canneries and cancels more than $550 million in long-term contracts
By Sasha RogelbergMay 7, 2026
17 hours ago
U.S. Treasury will have to borrow $2 trillion this year just to continue functioning—more than $166 billion every month
Economy
U.S. Treasury will have to borrow $2 trillion this year just to continue functioning—more than $166 billion every month
By Eleanor PringleMay 7, 2026
1 day ago
'Blue dot fever' plagues musicians like Post Malone, Meghan Trainor, and Zayn as a growing list of artists cancel tours due to lagging ticket sales
Arts & Entertainment
'Blue dot fever' plagues musicians like Post Malone, Meghan Trainor, and Zayn as a growing list of artists cancel tours due to lagging ticket sales
By Dave Lozo and Morning BrewMay 7, 2026
19 hours ago
A Michigan farm town voted down plans for a giant OpenAI-Oracle data center. Weeks later, construction began
Magazine
A Michigan farm town voted down plans for a giant OpenAI-Oracle data center. Weeks later, construction began
By Sharon GoldmanMay 6, 2026
2 days ago
Tokyo is throwing out its strict office dress code and asking workers to wear shorts amid the war in Iran energy crisis
Success
Tokyo is throwing out its strict office dress code and asking workers to wear shorts amid the war in Iran energy crisis
By Emma BurleighMay 5, 2026
3 days ago
Current price of oil as of May 7, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of May 7, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerMay 7, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.