As part of IGN’s State of Streaming event, we’re taking a fresh look at the major streaming services and what they offer subscribers in 2023.
Netflix didn’t just define the current streaming landscape – for better and worse, its deep pockets, all-at-once releases, and star-studded casts reshaped television as we know it. But in 2023, with more competition than ever, the trailblazer has had to shift and evolve to stay relevant. In the face of waning fortunes and streaming saturation, Netflix's grip may be loosening. But it’s still the standard bearer when it comes to original programming and recontextualizing previously forgotten network and cable shows as streaming standouts.
Netflix's TV Shows and Movies
To really dig into the most important part of any streaming service we're going to be breaking this section down into four segments. First we'll be looking at the original programming each platform has to offer, then we're digging deep into their back catalog, next up will be anything that really stands out and makes the streamer unique, then finally it'll be any glaring omissions.
Originals: Since the one-two punch of House of Cards and Orange is the New Black in 2013, shows like Squid Game, Stranger Things, The Queen's Gambit, Ozark, The Witcher, Money Heist, and Wednesday have bolstered Netflix's catalog and its reputation. Netflix's place as the leader of the pack has also allowed the streamer to secure massive talent like Gal Gadot, the Russo Brothers, Chris Evans, Ryan Reynolds, and The Rock. But while the movies that those talents created were reported to be big hits for the streamer, they’ve had far less critical and cultural impact than Netflix's scripted and unscripted series. That said, 2023 has brought some splashy features like the bombastic sci-fi flick They Cloned Tyrone and the critically acclaimed Sandler family affair You're So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah. With the return of The Witcher, critical smashes like Beef and I Think You Should Leave, and the recent launch of the live-action One Piece adaptation, Netflix still holding strong in the original programming space.
Back catalog: Netflix has carved out a niche for itself as a place for viewers to rediscover old series anew. It happened with the success that both Friends and The Office found on the service – one of the biggest instigators for legacy studios like Warner Bros. Discovery and NBCUniversal to get into the streaming game – and continues with shows like Manifest and Suits. The former was canceled by NBC after its fourth season, but became so popular on Netflix that the streamer picked it up for a fourth and final season; the latter was recently streamed for 3.7 billion minutes after it joined the roster over summer. While Netflix's success inspired studios to create their own streamers to showcase their catalogs, those platform's lack of Netflix-level success has seen the corporations reverse course, licensing shows back to their rival – which is how tiles for HBO shows like Insecure, Ballers, Band of Brothers, and The Pacific recently turned up in the feed.
Glaring omissions: In the early days of Netflix, the service was a treasure trove of weird old movies and hard-to-find gems. The streamer has largely moved on since then and is worse off for it. With the wealth of streaming services that are available, consumers likely know that Netflix is not the place to go to find classic cinema or even just lesser known movies from before the 1980s. It's a shame, but also makes sense as studios want to keep their catalogs in-house or license them to the highest bidder these days. That sense of historical perspective is really the only thing that Netflix truly lacks, but it's also something that subscribers either aren’t too bothered about or view as a gap that they’re happily to fill with another service like Criterion Channel or even Max's TCM hub.
Standout: Netflix's international programming stands far and above their competitors. Whether you're looking to binge the first 15 seasons of One Piece before watching the live-action adaptation or want to check out the latest smash Korean dramas like the new season of Uncanny Counter or the reality show hit Physical 100, Netflix has the range. They have a stacked selection of Indonesian genre fare including their cult original The Night Comes for Us, as well as Timo Tjahjanto's recent action hit The Big 5. They also have an impressive spread of contemporary Bollywood and Nollywood movies as well as plenty of eclectic horror movies and Netflix original dramas from around the globe.
Netflix's User Interface
In 2023, this is one of Netflix's biggest struggles. The app often runs slowly and struggles to buffer. One of the original appeals of Netflix was the ease with which it enabled viewers to watch hours of TV and film with no interruption. Unfortunately, it currently seems that the interface at times struggles to keep up with the amount of content it needs to present, shows often stop in the middle of episodes to buffer, and sometimes the app will take minutes to go from the launch page to the login. While these are not daily occurrences, they have been happening more and more regularly for this reviewer in 2023. Netflix still offers 1080 HD on all its plans, but you'll have to invest $19.99 a month to get your favorites in 4K UHD. No matter the setting, the current Netflix UI runs heavy on smart TVs and home devices – especially when connected to WiFi – and will often struggle to immediately stream at the highest quality.
Netflix is still one of the best services for when you're on the move, however. The ability to download shows to your phone, iPad, or fave on-the-go device is incredibly useful and intuitive, and if you don't want to use up your memory and have a relatively new phone or tablet with a solid unlimited data plan, Netflix streams well with both an LTE or 5G internet connection.
It seems that the interface struggles to keep up with the amount of content it needs to present
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Other than that, the instantly recognizable Netflix format still serves subscribers well. It's easy to search and filter through the library. Plus it lets casual users know what the big releases and "trending" shows are in an easy to understand way, allowing them to try out the streamer's biggest new hits without having to search for them. If you're willing to commit to giving Netflix your feedback on shows that you like with the thumbs up and down mechanic, then you can get some pretty good recommendations via the algorithm.
Netflix's Price
This is arguably the largest shift for Netflix since our State of Streaming review in 2022. In November of last year, the streamer finally caved to the industry standard and introduced a cheaper ad-supported tier in order to appeal to a wider viewership. By the beginning of 2023 Netflix was reporting that almost 20% of their new users had opted for the ad-supported plan, which makes sense as it makes Netflix one of the more affordable services out there. It did come at a cost, though, as the streamer's popular "Basic" tier – no ads for $9.99 a month on one device – was discontinued for new users / customers who were rejoining the service, which puts Netflix's lowest non ad-supported tier, "Standard," at a hefty $15.49, which is a pretty big jump in cost. That tier allows two devices at a time and has the option to add a single new user who doesn't live with you – something that was brought in as an option after Netflix cracked down on password sharing – for an extra $7.99 a month. The final tier, "Premium," is $19.99 and allows four devices that can stream 4K UHD and the option to add two extra users who don't live with you for $7.99 each.
That's all to say that in-line with the market as a whole, Netflix's prices have gotten higher if you're looking for their classic no-ad experience. But with such a large catalog of smash hit shows that often drive the cultural conversation alongside massive blockbusters and original programming, it's a price that many users will likely be happy to pay. And if you don't mind ads, then you can be making out like a bandit with that $6.99 "Standard with Ads" tier that feels more akin to streaming prices from the halcyon, pre-COVID days.
