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How Amazon Defeated Disney in Streaming: Learning from Rings of Power
🕑 Added 2024-02-21 15:11:48 +0000 UTCAs you all know, not everything we receive (or even remotely close) can make it into the public eye. That includes YouTube as well as That Park Place. However, we're keen to provide you with more access here in hopes that it let's you see behind the curtains of how we're handling information.
The below text is a small subset of information we received from one of my very highest-level sources who is utterly kind and helpful in getting us early access. We're using this in the video today. This text has been run through artificial intelligence to hide the writing style so that you may see what it is that we receive and comment on.
As you read this, understand that Amazon has pivoted away from Disney's DEI strategy that killed Rings of Power. And thus, Amazon overtook Disney in 2023 for hours of streaming watch-time -- a hugely important streaming metric that now puts Amazon in the top three.
1. YouTube
2. Netflix
3. Amazon Prime Video
This is why Disney is being forced to face change.
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Believe it or not, Amazon is among the leaders in conducting extensive research on specific content, both before and after its release. Their approach is heavily driven by analytics, deeply ingrained in their core operations. However, this aspect is often overlooked when it contradicts the perspectives of content gatekeepers within the company.
Despite their strong commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), Amazon possesses viewer data indicating that emphasizing DEI can negatively impact the appeal of their content. Nevertheless, they remain staunch supporters of DEI initiatives, often engaging in grandstanding to showcase their dedication.
Interestingly, Amazon manages their DEI strategies from a global, annual perspective rather than evaluating each show individually. This means that while they prioritize DEI, the ultimate measure of success lies in their overall DEI performance at the end of the year, rather than mandating high DEI scores for every project.
Unlike Disney, which previously required high DEI scores for every project, Amazon takes a more flexible approach. They assess their DEI performance annually, considering factors such as the number of high-scoring DEI projects, the budgets allocated to them, and the extent of their promotional efforts.
This approach allows Amazon to greenlight a few lower-budget projects that may not meet stringent DEI criteria but still contribute to their overall content slate. These projects, although fewer in number and with lower budgets, still manage to attract a substantial audience.
Interestingly, when Amazon evaluates the success of their projects, they analyze various metrics including costs, viewership within the first week, month, year, and beyond. Surprisingly, it's often the non-DEI projects that excel in these metrics due to their broader appeal and lower production costs.
High-profile DEI fantasy shows, with their extravagant budgets, often fall short in these analytics. For instance, their adaptation of "Lord of the Rings" incurred exorbitant costs but failed to garner significant viewership, resulting in dismal performance metrics.
Similarly, analytics for "Wheel of Time" indicated poor performance metrics, resembling those of "Lord of the Rings." Despite its high-profile status, the show failed to meet expectations.
Overall, this insight suggests that Amazon will continue to produce a mix of low DEI productions strategically integrated into their annual output. This approach reflects a conscious effort to balance DEI initiatives with commercial success, highlighting the complexities of content creation in today's landscape.
Comments
Kathleen Morrison
Very similar to fashion you have the prestigious brands that get you the acclaime but it's the cheaper lower end brands that keep the lights on. Rings of power get them the DEI brownie points reacher pays the bills
WDW Pro
It seems that Amazon itself is doing exactly what Film Threat alleges BUT they're allowing third party contracted efforts to skirt these rules. And all of that is masked with a move from micro to macro DEI metrics.
WDW Pro
Very, very well said.
Nutty Squirrel_8
This revelation leaves me scratching my head. Film Threat produced a video just last week outlining the Draconian DEI policies of Amazon that contradict this. I'm not saying the source is wrong. It just seems confusing. Film Threat's Video is titled, "AMAZON STUDIOS' NEW DEI RULES WILL END CREATIVITY IN HOLLYWOOD." I guess the big question is how these two things coexist.
Trevor Sumner
Having a mix of shows and movies was the direction Hollywood was originally going in before 2016 or a bit before, and since 2016 it’s only been a massive flood of DEI/ESG garbage with only a small handful of things that weren’t. A centrist approach to storytelling would be better in the long run, like examples being if you have ten shows to produce for the year, balance the budgets for all of them and have five of them be DEI based while the other five have little to nothing to do with that concept. In the case of Amazon, they had Reacher and Terminal List, which I’m guessing are small budget while having massive budget DEI in Rings of Power and Wheel of Time. Maybe if their shows were all on similar budgets regardless of the amount of CGI and other things needed, they would be able to maintain better if one or two productions don’t perform. Despite that I haven’t seen Godzilla Minus One, I know from multiple YouTube channels that the film has a small budget and managed to do everything necessary with it. These studios must learn from this, or they will continue to fail and lose money on an even bigger scale. Go centrist, and I don’t mean politically.
Reier Gotter
Very interesting and thank you for sharing. The Wheel of Time season 2 indicated Amazon has not shifted away from DEI. There have been rumors that Rings of Power season 2 would be delayed which may indicate a shift in direction. For me, I’ll believe it when I see it. Amazon’s top shows have been shows like Reacher. Shows that have a smaller profile and are likely made without executive meddling and without drawing the attention of the DEI vultures within their company.
Fiona M
It’s a good start but it is a small victory. It means we get the cast offs and the rejects. The vast amount of money will still go to projects that are unwatchable. They can sustain this for a very long time but I still have to ask why would they? We know why, but WHY? This means they understand the reality of the situation but voluntarily remain in denial. They continue to gaslight their audience and their customers and that is not acceptable to me.
