Report: Netflix’s U.S. Movie Library Down 35% Since 2015; But It’s Growing Again
You’re not going crazy — your Netflix movie library has indeed been shrinking over the past few years. But fear not, after years of other companies taking back their popular properties from the platform, Netflix’s library is growing once more.
A report by What’s On Netflix found that the total number of movies available to U.S. subscribers decreased by 35% since 2015. What’s worse, the number of licensed films on the platform is now 55% less than it was that year.
Granted, since 2015, we have seen the rise of multiple streaming services like HBO Max, Peacock, Disney+, and Paramount+ — all of which took their movies and shows with them to their own platforms — resulting in Netflix (and others) losing quite a bit of licensed content.
Per What’s on Netflix, you can see the trend play out over the past few years.
- 2015: 4,752 movies
- 2016: 3,275 movies
- 2017: 2,686 movies
- 2018: 2,768 movies
- 2019: 3,048 movies
- 2020: 2,980 movies
- 2021: 2,937 movies
- 2022: 3,015 movies
It’s not all doom and gloom for Netflix, though — we can see the number of films has grown relatively steadily since 2017 when the figures hit their lowest point, and the company seems poised to continue that growth moving forward thanks to an investment in Netflix Originals.
They’ve also extended their deal with Universal, which brings films like the “Shrek” series and the other DreamWorks produced properties, including “Minions: The Rise of Gru,” to the service
The deal will even include new films that are releasing this year. “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish” and “The Bad Guys” will first be available to stream on Peacock, NBCUniversal’s own streaming service, for four months, but then, those movies will be available on Netflix.
As the streaming wars ramp up into the post-pandemic era, it will be up to Netflix to rely on its original programming and savvy licensing deals to bolster its content offerings. After a massive tumble during Q1, the longtime streaming titan might need all the help it can get and making, adding, and keeping the content that keeps customers engaged should be priority No. 1.
Netflix
Netflix is a subscription video streaming service that includes on-demand access to 3,000+ movies, 2,000+ TV Shows, and Netflix Originals like Stranger Things, Squid Game, The Crown, Tiger King, and Bridgerton. They are constantly adding new shows and movies. Some of their Academy Award-winning exclusives include Roma, Marriage Story, Mank, and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.