Watching your favorite movies has never been easier with the rise of on-demand entertainment which has considerably overtaken cable as the most common way to watch. Apps like Netflix, Hulu, Vudu, and Movies Anywhere bundled with streaming sticks and smart TVs have had the most resounding impacts on the entertainment industry, changing not only the way content is consumed, but how it’s made in the first place.
Apps like these came about thanks to the rise of on-demand entertainment apps, where users could simply pick a movie or show listed on service and stream it, instead of having to buy them physically individually or wait for them to be shown on cable. Services such as Netflix, Youtube, and iTunes were leading the charge by allowing users to pick their own content and watch on multiple devices with little restriction. From there on, these apps exploded with popularity and almost every media wanted a piece of the action by establishing their own streaming services catered to audiences of their specific brand. Disney Plus, HBO Max, Crunchyroll, and dozens more took advantage of custom on demand app development to open the doors of their vast content libraries to any user wanting to subscribe.
Why On-Demand Apps Are Popular
These on-demand apps typically include several features that make it convenient for users to start watching their content easily. Registration within the apps themselves, full payment options and multiple tiered payments plans to accommodate different needs, and thorough search engines that break down content by language, genre, cast, crew, or rating, are typically all found within the most popular on-demand video apps.
Some of these apps allow for unlimited streaming of the entire content library for no charge aside from a monthly subscription fee, like Netflix and Hulu, while others charge ala carte per movie or episode so users don’t need to pay for anything besides what they’re watching like iTunes and Vudu. Typically, on-demand models favor the a la carte approach, like with regular shopping apps and online food delivery, however subscription models are rapidly catching on thanks to the value proposition for users and the steady stream of revenue for the providers.
How These Apps Are Changing Media
These apps are usually cross-platform as well, with no restrictions based on where accounts can be accessed. You can start watching a Netflix movie on your tv, and then pick up where you left off on your phone later seamlessly, and mobile components are typically often very important since audiences like taking their content on the go and watching during long commutes or during breaks.
Nowadays, the media itself is being made with these on-demand services in mind. TV shows are being produced with audiences binging entire sessions at once in mind, and production companies are trying to make their content as enticing as possible to encourage new users to sign up for their platforms. This goes to show the massive potential for these on-demand service apps and how they’ll continue to change the media landscape going forward.