We’re well and truly wrapped up in the festive spirit as November bows out. The month brought plenty of surprises from the streaming heavyweights, who aren’t just keeping up – they’re shaking things up. From tweaking platforms to diving headfirst into live sports and rolling out seasonal deals, November was all about adapting, experimenting, and keeping us glued to our screens.
To start, Amazon shook things up with a major overhaul of its streaming strategy. By folding Freevee’s offerings into Prime Video, the tech giant has crafted a more unified experience, making its content library easier to explore. Now, free, ad-supported shows and movies live alongside premium content in a single space. This is certainly the kind of thinking we appreciate in this overflowing, saturated market – if it saves us an hour of aimless UI hopping in search of something to watch, we’re all for it, please.
Netflix made waves in a completely different way, hosting its first-ever live boxing event featuring Jake Paul and the legendary Mike Tyson. Fans across the globe tuned in to see the legendary fighter return to the ring, marking his first major bout since retiring from professional boxing in 2005. It was certainly a nail-biter – watching a nearly 60-year-old go up against someone in their 20s isn’t exactly your everyday matchup. Platforms around the world leveraged the hype, from Foxtel’s dramatic placements in Australia to prominent campaigns on Vivo in Brazil and PS4 in Japan. Yet, not everything went according to plan – technical hiccups, buffering issues, and visual glitches left some viewers frustrated. While the event showcased Netflix’s ambition to venture into live sports, it also highlighted the growing pains of entering an entirely new arena. In October, Netflix’s digital merchandising prominence lagged behind its competitors, meaning fewer eyeballs on its content offering. Curious to see if they’ve climbed the ranks this month? View our comprehensive breakdown in November’s Merchandiser of the Month.
Holiday deals took center stage as November came to a close, with streamers vying for attention during the Black Friday rush. Max enticed subscribers with a Fire TV promotion, offering six months of access at just $2.99 per month, while Paramount+ launched a similar deal on Samsung devices. As audiences gear up for festive binging, these aggressive offers could set the stage for the ultimate subscriber showdown in the coming months – we’ll certainly be keeping a keen eye on the battles about to commence and will report back accordingly.
November delivered game-changing strategies and standout transformations, but there’s far more to the story. We’ve only scratched the surface of this month’s biggest moves. Wanting to see which content is currently winning in terms of prominence and standout campaigns in the competitive landscape? You can find the rankings alongside a deeper analysis in our November Merchandiser of the Month report.
