Netflix seems like an obvious competitor. As the entrenched favorite streaming service with the biggest audience, Netflix sets the standard for Disney+ to meet or beat. And Disney’s evidently not going to do its rival any favors. According to a report from the Wall Street Journal, Disney is banning Netflix from advertising on any of its TV networks. Insiders claim that this originally stretched to all rival streaming networks, but Disney later reversed that decision for every company except Netflix. This is not a small thing for Netflix, which has invested hundreds of millions in advertising every year. It warns investors about the possibility of its usual advertising avenues being cut off in its 2018 annual report: A spokesperson for the Disney Company told WSJ it’d reversed a ban on these ads “to reflect the comprehensive business relationships we have with many of these companies.” Ultimately, it likely leads back to Disney’s decision to enter the streaming competition. The streaming industry used to be a one-horse race, with that horse being Netflix. Now, with so many jockeying for our attention and money, they might start backstabbing each other to get ahead. I suspect NBC and WarnerMedia might not get as much advertising space on Disney’s channels once they launch Peacock and HBOMax, respectively. So where does this leave us, the consumers? It definitely effects what kinds of ads we’re going to see — which in turn, effects how many of us will use each service. Competition for our eyes and minds is so fierce, I fully expect formerly cordial relationships between big tech companies to sour over it.
