Streaming Wars, May 2022: Netflix peaks and valleys

Each month, we read over the latest dispatches from the front lines of the Streaming Wars and assess how the likes of Netflix, HBO Max, Disney+ and the rest are doing. Who won the day, who was defeated, and who’s biding their time? We mark it all down on this living graph, which changes every month.

How did the combatants fare in April of 2022? Take a look:

Paramount+

In addition to new episodes of Star Trek: Picard and Halo, Paramount+ ran The Godfather TV show The Offer, rebooted iCarly, and aired the Grammy Awards. They’re hanging in there. Points: +2

Netflix

Netflix always has so much new content, there’s just no stopping it. From sci-fi fare like Russian Doll to heartwarming romances like Heartstopper to boomer comedy like Grace & Frankie to fun trash like The Ultimatum, there’s something for everyone. Also, we got the final episodes of Ozark. That said, the streamer also lost subscribers for the first time in years, so content isn’t the only thing that matters. Points: +2

Disney+

Moon Knight is a bona fide hit, but apart from that, it’s slim pickings on Disney+ this month. A new Marvel series counts for a lot, though. Points: + 2

Hulu

In addition to lots of new library titles, Hulu got new originals like Mayans M.C., Woke and Andrew Garfield’s Under the Banner of Heaven. And even if you don’t like them, premiering a new show about The Kardashians is a pretty big deal. Points: +3

HBO Max

In addition to a bunch of good library titles, HBO Max subscribers got new episodes of Barry, The Flight Attendant, Tokyo Vice and The Black Lady Sketch Show. Plus, The Wire creator David Simon returned with the new limited series We Own This City. Good stuff all around. Points: + 3

Amazon Prime Video

In April, Amazon got some solid library titles and some okay originals, including The Outlaws, All the Old Knives, Outer Range and A Very British Scandal. There’s a fair amount of talent there, but none of these projects created much buzz. Points: + 2

Apple TV+

Apple TV+ brings the star power with Nicole Kidman in Roar, Elizabeth Moss in Shining Girls and Gary Oldman in Slow Horses. And then there was the Magic Johnson documentary They Call Me Magic. And that’s literally all that came to the service in April. Points: + 1

Peacock

The big originals for Peacock this past month were Killing It and Smother, two fun-looking shows that very few people are talking about. Points: + 1

And get a load of the ever-changing graph right here:

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