10 Ways To Save Streaming Services
9. Don't Self-Censor
Apple recently shot itself in both feet multiple times, with the announcement that its original content would be avoiding sex, violence, and strong language -delaying an episode of Carpool Karaoke featuring comedian Chelsea Handler to cut offensive content- while Disney’s slate of content for its streaming launch in 2019 is similarly family-friendly.
By using the subscriber model, streaming services have a level of creative freedom unavailable to network television because they don’t have to play by advertisers’ rules to get revenue. It’s the premium cable way of doing things, which is how we got Game Of Thrones, and which has given rise to some of Netflix and Hulu’s greatest hits like The Handmaid’s Tale and Stranger Things.
And although adult content doesn’t automatically mean quality programming, it can give writers and directors the freedom to push boundaries, and create something really special. In late 2017, BBC2 broadcast a new run of Louis Theroux documentaries, which featured heroin addicts shooting up on camera in its first episode. It was uncompromising stuff, very powerful because of it, and something you’ll never see amongst Apple or Disney’s original content.
But the biggest reason to not censor your own material is that the users of streaming services tend to be adults. Even though nostalgia and ‘comfort-food programming’ are big markets for streaming, when someone pays a monthly subscription fee, chances are they’ll be looking for something with a bit more bite to it than repeats of Full House, and will happily take their money elsewhere if they’re not getting it.