Netflix vs. YouTube

Welcome to MovieNewsPro for Tuesday, July 22nd, 2025. Here's what you need to know.

🎬 Today's Take

I remember being one of Netflix’s earliest customers. The original concept was simple but revolutionary: you could browse and track movies online (sort of like Letterboxd today), build a queue, and they’d mail DVDs right to your door. For movie lovers, especially those living in towns without arthouse theaters, it was a game-changer.

Of course, times have changed. Now Netflix is the undisputed king of streaming, offering just about everything: reality shows, anime, sports, live events, limited series, and blockbuster films. For anyone buying their first smart TV, it’s the default app. But becoming “the everything store” has its downside. The brand that once catered to cinephiles has lost its niche appeal, many film lovers have long since moved on to Criterion Channel or MUBI. And with Netflix controlling what gets on the platform, the experience can feel more like a content firehose than a curated collection.

Meanwhile, YouTube has grown from a chaotic cat video website into a streaming TV juggernaut of its own. The key difference? User-generated content. YouTube lets almost anyone post videos, and it monetizes them through ads. It also licenses shows and offers live TV subscriptions, but its foundation is creators—not studios. Recently, there’s been a boom in AI-generated content, much of it low-effort “AI slop,” which YouTube has now pledged to stop monetizing. We’ll see how that plays out.

Together, YouTube and Netflix account for about 20% of all TV viewing time, a number that’s likely to rise. Netflix is always on the lookout for the next big threat (having already weathered the HBO Max Discovery challenge), but YouTube might be its toughest competitor yet. Unlike other challengers, YouTube isn’t trying to out-Netflix Netflix. It’s playing a whole different game, letting its creators call the shots and shaping the culture from the bottom up.

So, are these two giants on a collision course? Maybe. Netflix is still trying to be everything for everyone. YouTube, in many ways, already is, but it’s done so by handing the reins to quirky creators and now, increasingly, AI content farms. How that plays out is anyone’s guess, but it’s going to be fascinating to watch.

📈 Movie Stock Index

Market Close: Tuesday, July 22nd, 2025
Total Value: $115,185.80
Today's Change: -$185.54 (-0.16%)
Total Gain/Loss (Since 05/12/25): $15,185.78 (15.19%)

Movie stocks were all over the map today, with our index finishing almost even  (-0.16%). Dolby Labs (remember them?) was our biggest gainer, up 2%. Meme stock slash turnaround story AMC closed up 1.74%). Lionsgate was our 3rd highest riser (1.09%). On the downside, streaming giants Netflix (-3.50%), Roku (-2.33%) and Cineverse (-2.46%) had rough days.

Disclaimer: The MovieNewsPro Stock Index is a virtual index - there are no actual funds invested. Sector index total value dollar amounts are based on an initial hypothetical investment of $100,000 on May 12th, 2025. MovieNewsPro and/or its publisher may own stock or have interest in the companies mentioned. We are not licensed investment advisors and our information should not be used as investment advice. Invest wisely.

🎥 Industry Intel

Several Netflix, Disney and Warner Bros execs have launched a new consulting firm called AiPhelion. The firm's goal is to help media and entertainment companies navigate the world of AI. (Deadline)

The nostalgia craze for video stores is a trend that we've been keeping an eye on. Vidiots in L.A. is making a big comeback. (New York Times)

Awards front runners ‘Sentimental Value,’ ‘Sound of Falling,’ ‘Frankenstein,’ ‘The Smashing Machine,’ have all been added to the lineup for the Toronto International Film Festival. (IndieWire)

There's a shakeup at Lionsgate. Marketing Co-Presidents JP Richards and Keri Moore are out, according to chair Adam Fogelson. No replacements have been named. (TheWrap)

📢 Job Opening Alert

Fox Entertainment is searching for a Senior Vice President, Current - Scripted Programming. (HollyList)

🏆 Upcoming Film Festivals

New York Asian Film Festival, US - July 11-27
Golden Apricot International Film Festival, Armenia - July 13-20
Fantasia International Film Festival, Canada - July 17-August 3
Jerusalem Film Festival, Israel - July 17-27
New Horizons International Film Festival, Poland - July 17-27
Waco Independent Film Festival, US - July 17-20
Burgas International Film Festival, Bulgaria - July 19-25
Malaysia International Film Festival, Malaysia - July 19-27
Cinema Rediscovered, UK - July 23-27
Comic-Con, US - July 24-27
Woods Hole Film Festival, US - July 26-August 2
BlackStar Film Festival, US - July 31-August 3

📺 Watch This Tonight

Donnie Darko (2001)
Directed by Richard Kelly
Skip the new Smurfs movie. Watch this instead.

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Disclaimer/Transparency
MovieNewsPro is a film industry news, trends and analysis monitoring service. All stories have been previously reported elsewhere and are not exclusive stories to MNP. All information is believed to be accurate at the time of reporting. MovieNewsPro uses a full array of technology to gather information, including machine learning, automation and artificial intelligence throughout its business monitoring, editing and reporting process.