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

Trendingnow

1

MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year

2

Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster

3

Now worth $200 million, Sarah Jessica Parker credits being ‘one of eight kids that struggled financially’ for her hunger, ambition, and work ethic

1

MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year

2

Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster

3

Now worth $200 million, Sarah Jessica Parker credits being ‘one of eight kids that struggled financially’ for her hunger, ambition, and work ethic
TechFortune Analytics

Exclusive analysis: Apple and Disney are serious threats to Netflix

By
Lance Lambert
Lance Lambert
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Lance Lambert
Lance Lambert
Down Arrow Button Icon
October 31, 2019, 12:00 PM ET
Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg—Getty Images
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

FORTUNE Analytics brings readers business insights from proprietary data and exclusive surveys. It will launch as a premium newsletter in early 2020. Sign up for the debut below:

The streaming war is full stream ahead. Platforms like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Video get a serious challenger Friday when Apple TV+ ($4.99/month) goes live. On Nov. 12th, Disney+ ($6.99/month) enters the fray. Then, in the spring: NBC’s Peacock and HBO Max.

But is there room for them all to flourish, or will they pick each other off like Hunger Games tributes? Fortune and SurveyMonkey teamed up to conduct a poll of more than 1,100 Americans* on their streaming preferences. Here’s our insight into how the streaming war will unfold and which new entries are best positioned to threaten Netflix.

The big numbers you should know:

28%

  • … of Americans say they’re likely to subscribe to Disney+ or the Disney+/Hulu/ESPN+ bundle. That number is 14% for Apple TV+ and 8% for NBC’s Peacock. 

2 in 5

  • … Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon users say they’re likely to subscribe to at least one of the new platforms. 

11%

  • … of respondents plan to cancel a streaming service to subscribe to either Apple TV+, Disney+, or Peacock, while 14% say they’ll drop their cable or satellite subscription. 

56%

  • Over half of Americans say they wouldn’t spend more than $25 per month on all their streaming services. The flip side: 44% would be willing to go over $25. 

One quick takeaway:

New streaming services are poised to give Netflix and Amazon a challenge right out of the gate—although some will do a better job at this than others. Still, the newcomers will find it hard to raise prices and recoup the billions they’re spending on content (HBO Max just snagged the rights to South Park for $500 million) given subscribers’ price resistance.

“Over time not all these players are going to survive,” says P. K. Kannan, a marketing professor at the University of Maryland. He argues that the cost of content, competition, and finite number of subscribers will shorten the playing field. Just Tuesday, Sony announced it will shut down PlayStation Vue, its streaming service.

Three deep takeaways:

1. Disney+ has a big lead over Apple TV+ and Peacock.

Among the new entries, Disney has a clear edge with viewers. And it won’t take long for the established platforms to feel the Disney heat: Around 1 in 3 users of Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon say they’re likely to subscribe to Disney+. This makes sense, given Disney’s arsenal of decades of all-American classics in addition to its acquired brands like Marvel, Pixar, and LucasArts. 

Disney has another edge: Among respondents, 19% say they plan to subscribe to the $12.99-per-month Disney+ bundle, which also includes Hulu and ESPN+. Packaging Disney+ content with Hulu, known for its current TV programming, and ESPN+, which offers live sporting events, is what Disney believes will give it an edge over Netflix. 

But don’t overlook Apple. The world’s second-most-valuable firm intends to boost its subscription by giving out 12 months of Apple TV+ for free to people who purchase new Apple devices. These folks didn’t show up in our survey numbers. 

2. Hulu and Netflix have the most to lose. 

Hulu has the highest share of users who say they’ll subscribe to each of the new platforms. It also has the highest percentage of users who say they’re likely to cancel the service to sign up for another one. But there’s a silver lining to this news: Hulu is one of the three platforms rolled up in the Disney+ bundle, and could conceivably come out gaining more than it loses. 

That’s why Netflix, which has the second-most users who plan to subscribe to one of the new platforms, might be in the toughest position. It isn’t included in one these new bundles like Hulu. And at the same time it’s gaining new competitors it’s also losing shows to them, as Friends goes to HBO Max and The Office and Parks and Rec go to Peacock. 

It’s likely Amazon is poised to lose the least because people aren’t just paying for Prime for its streaming. It’s hard to walk away from free two-day shipping, amiright? 

3. Cash-tight viewers might doom profits.

The new and old over-the-top media services alike are spending billions to make new content and buy rights to nostalgic throwbacks. The more streaming services that come out, the more this bidding war escalates. But eventually they’ll need to raise prices to recoup this cost.

Over half of Americans are unwilling to spend more than $25 for their total monthly streaming budget. Viewers are resistant to give back their savings from cutting cable. This might make future price hikes difficult.

“The idea of pricing below cost in the hopes that you will magically jack up prices dramatically later feels like a pretty dangerous route to take,” says Jonathan Knee, a professor of media and technology at Columbia Business School. Normally, when this much money is thrown at an industry it is because the top dog is raking in obscene profits. That’s not the case for Netflix, where spending is weighing down profits. 

One interesting number:

29%

… of Americans watch streaming services every day, according to our survey findings. Among this group, 40% plan to subscribe to at least one of the new platforms. 

*Methodology: The Fortune-SurveyMonkey online poll was conducted Oct 8-9 among national sample of 1,106 adults in the U.S. This survey’s modeled error estimate is plus or minus 4.5 percentage points. The findings have been weighted for age, race, sex, education, and geography.

About the Author
By Lance Lambert
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

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

Australia to strengthen enforcement of under-16 social media ban
PoliticsSocial Media
Australia to strengthen enforcement of under-16 social media ban
By Ainslie Chandler and BloombergJune 27, 2026
2 hours ago
Apple seeks U.S. approval to buy chips from blacklisted CXMT: FT
Big TechChips
Apple seeks U.S. approval to buy chips from blacklisted CXMT: FT
By Angela Cullen and BloombergJune 27, 2026
2 hours ago
SpaceX, Charter discussed mobile phone partnership in U.S.
North Americaspace
SpaceX, Charter discussed mobile phone partnership in U.S.
By Kelcee Griffis and BloombergJune 27, 2026
2 hours ago
Anthropic’s Mythos 5 AI model cleared by U.S. for wider use
AIAnthropic
Anthropic’s Mythos 5 AI model cleared by U.S. for wider use
By Josh Wingrove, Rachel Metz and BloombergJune 27, 2026
2 hours ago
erik
AIJobs
‘It’s not going away’: The Stanford economist who called the AI entry-level jobs crisis early has the receipts
By Nick LichtenbergJune 27, 2026
3 hours ago
Robert Shiller, professor of economics at Yale University
AIEconomics
Nobel laureate economist warns AI jobs apocalypse fears could become a self-fulfilling prophesy
By Eva RoytburgJune 27, 2026
5 hours ago

Most Popular

MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year
Success
MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year
By Sydney LakeJune 25, 2026
2 days ago
Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster
Success
Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster
By Preston ForeJune 27, 2026
6 hours ago
Now worth $200 million, Sarah Jessica Parker credits being ‘one of eight kids that struggled financially’ for her hunger, ambition, and work ethic
Success
Now worth $200 million, Sarah Jessica Parker credits being ‘one of eight kids that struggled financially’ for her hunger, ambition, and work ethic
By Orianna Rosa RoyleJune 24, 2026
3 days ago
The bond market knows something about the $39 trillion national debt that Washington doesn’t
Economy
The bond market knows something about the $39 trillion national debt that Washington doesn’t
By Eva RoytburgJune 25, 2026
2 days ago
Current price of oil as of June 26, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 26, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 26, 2026
1 day ago
Leon Black says Epstein's network included Elon Musk, Sergey Brin and Peter Thiel, while saying 'I knew Jekyll. I didn't know Hyde'
Politics
Leon Black says Epstein's network included Elon Musk, Sergey Brin and Peter Thiel, while saying 'I knew Jekyll. I didn't know Hyde'
By Joey Cappelletti and The Associated PressJune 26, 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.