Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery made noise earlier this spring when they announced plans to bundle their streaming services Disney+, Hulu and Max, a move that WBD boss David Zaslav called a “moment” for programmers in the streaming wars.
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However, don’t expect Netflix to join in.
The streamer poured cold water on the idea that it would team up with any of its streaming rivals on bundling in its latest financials.
“We haven’t bundled Netflix solely with other streamers like Disney+ or Max because Netflix already operates as a go-to destination for entertainment thanks to the breadth and variety of our slate and superior product experience. This has driven industry leading penetration, engagement and retention for us, which limits the benefit to Netflix of bundling directly with other streamers,” it noted in a letter to investors.
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It’s not hugely surprising given that much of the commentary around the Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery deal was about competing with Netflix, trying to catch up to the company, which revealed today that it has added another 8M subscribers , taking its total to 277M globally.
Back in May, WBD streaming chief JB Perrette said as much, calling the three service bundle “robust”. “We don’t feel like we need anybody else in that package to make it incredibly compelling,” he said on WBD’s first quarter earnings callm adding that Netflix and Prime Video were seen as “utilities.”
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However, Netflix was clear that it still intends to bundle with device makers and “operator partners.”
“From the early days of streaming, we saw partnerships with device makers and pay TV and mobile operators as key to ensuring Netflix was easy to find and use. These partnerships are a win-win — making it simple for people to discover, sign-up, use and pay for Netflix. In turn, our device and operator partners benefit through increased device sales from consumers seeking devices integrated with Netflix and greater customer acquisition and higher retention as well as the opportunity to upsell higher value data or content packages,” it added.
This will soothe execs at Comcast and Verizon, which in recent weeks have announced new bundles featuring Netflix.
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Earlier this month, Verizon unveiled a plan that sees customers who buy a year of Peacock’s premium plan, handed a premium Netflix plan for free for a year. Comcast is also launching StreamSaver that will bundle its own Peacock service with Netflix and Apple TV+, giving customers access to all three for a discount.
“In some partnerships, operators may include other streaming services in a bundle with Netflix and the operator’s services,” Netflix wrote in the small print.
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