The Future of Black Indigenous People of Color Content on Streaming Platforms
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If you didn’t know or believe that streaming platforms is the future of content consumption, you better hop on the bandwagon before it leaves you behind in the dust. Currently on the market, the three biggest providers are Netflix, Amazon Prime, and most recently Disney+. Also new to the game and looking to pump up HBO is HBO Max which is the newest extension and ended HBO Go and HBO Now. Other big-name providers include Apple TV, Hulu, YouTube TV and a whole host of platforms all looking to start investing now and become big players down the line.
As the whole world is dealing with the corona virus with self-quarantine, including the bomb explosions in Lebanon, people are finding themselves at home, by themselves a little more than we’ve been accustomed to. With that time staying safe at home, there is much opportunity to find solace and entertainment, not to mention distraction with video content. Although new content is not being produced at the rate they were at pre-pandemic (look to Hollywood and their movie sets, they’re out there people) the biggest hiccup right now is how to get the movies that were going to be released in theaters out to the public. Disney+ just announced that they will be releasing the highly anticipated live action Mulan on their streaming platforms although it will cost audiences $30 to watch.
Speaking about Disney+, is now the third highest subscribed streaming platform. With 54 million subscribers worldwide, it seems like Disney+ had very fast growth based on their longstanding reputation and content, not to mention, how large and rich Disney is. New and powerful, Disney is a serious contender for the platforms holding the first two spots above them. Second runner up with 150 million subscriptions is Amazon Prime which also has an advantage that anyone with an Amazon Prime account can now access Prime Videos, making for a very high inbred subscription count. Last but not least, the ruler of all video streaming platforms at the moment is the long-standing pioneer Netflix, with a whopping 190 million subscribers worldwide and content that really caters to a global community. Just in this year, 2020, Netflix gained 26 million new subscribers compared to last year’s 28 million, and there’s still a couple of months to go for 2020. There are talks and opportunities for streaming platforms to also be created for and by black, indigenous, people of color. Cinedigm + Quincy Newell to launch streaming network focused on programming for people of color.
Streaming Platform Subscriptions
The news of each new black indigenous people of color addition to TV world is exciting. It seems like we are only going to get more from here. I pray, I really do. Programming superstars include South Asian American teen story Never Have I Ever as well as South African gem Blood and Water from Netflix. HBO Max has Insecure, Euphoria, and Watchmen. As for future programming, new streaming platforms such as Quincy Newell and Cinedigm’s work in progress, point that people of color programming will only be getting more plentiful.
My hope is that all people of color get their ‘fair share’ of representation in front and behind the screen. There is a lot to be mined. If audiences are looking for fresh material, Black Indigenous People of Color got it. We’ve also been starved for relatable content so really, it makes sense to see more people of color on screen. And if the streaming giants are really just following the trend that the larger population is headed, so many content creators have the freedom to create and broadcast that not providing more diverse content and pushing against the ‘-isms,’ is a lost financial opportunity. In terms of scale, it is obvious that content should be created to broadcast to the rest of the world. The entry to access is lower because anyone needs is a phone, which costs less than a TV, depending on what type of television one has access to. The future of streaming Black Indigenous People of Color content is brighter than the past and we, the audience should protect it.
