Netflix Loses the Quality Crown to Apple TV and Two Rivals, Study Says

In the endless skirmish between streaming giants, it turns out this week isn’t about who’s got the most subscribers, or even who’s binned the most shows after one series. Someone’s finally tried to work out who’s actually got the best stuff — as in, proper quality content, not just sheer mountains of it. The results are, well, a bit of a turn up for the books.

The New Streaming Benchmarks: Not About Who’s Bigger

A bunch of analysts over at MoffettNathanson have put together the so-called Streaming Quality Index — and let’s be honest, there’s a touch of ‘why has nobody done this before?’ They’re not just looking at viewer numbers but are weighing up five factors:

• When people watch — so, are punters tuning in at prime hours or just letting stuff run?
• Overall demand for what’s available — which, for some services, definitely varies wildly.
• How many big franchises they own, and how deep those franchises actually go.
• Critical acclaim for each service’s originals and exclusives.
• How much live sport or other must-see events you can actually get on the platform.

The Shock Upset: Apple TV+ Surpasses Netflix (Just)

Now, here’s what’s genuinely surprising: Netflix does not top the quality list. Apple TV+, which still feels like it only has a handful of shows compared to Netflix’s unstoppable content conveyor belt, actually comes out ahead. Not by loads, but enough to raise a few eyebrows — Apple TV+ scores 2.04, Netflix gets a 1.95. So, the margin isn’t massive, but bragging rights definitely change hands.

For context, Netflix is still the service where you’ll find a huge international lineup, plus the likes of 'Stranger Things', 'The Crown', and 'House of Cards'. But the data says Apple’s strategy of ‘less, but reliably good’ is paying off: you’ve got 'Severance', 'Ted Lasso', 'Slow Horses', 'The Morning Show', 'Silo', 'Black Bird', 'Shrinking', and so on — all with a pretty high hit rate among critics.

Disney: The Real Powerhouse … by Quite a Stretch

In case you’re wondering, it’s not just Apple TV+ outpacing Netflix on this list. Top honours by a fair distance actually go to Disney, who clock in with a score of 2.98. Yes, almost a whole point ahead of Apple and Netflix — apparently being the keeper of absolutely everything Marvel, Star Wars and Pixar will do that for you.

Where Do The Rest Land?

HBO Max lands in second place at 2.07, not a bad shout for a service with the likes of 'Game of Thrones', DC stuff, 'Harry Potter', and now 'Dune' deals, all bankrolled by Warner Bros. Discovery.

After that, things thin out quickly. Amazon Prime Video, which feels like it’s got new originals every week and yet somehow can’t shake the feeling of always being third-choice, sits at 1.33. Peacock and Paramount+ are practically neck and neck at 1.32 and 1.29.

One Key Takeaway

Here’s the quote from the MoffettNathanson researchers that explains Disney’s win:

'Disney has simply amassed the largest collection of premium franchises and original titles, allowing it to score exceptionally well on both consistency and demand.'

It’s a new way of keeping score, and the landscape shift is fairly dramatic once you stop focusing on just who’s got the most things to watch and start asking which things are properly worth your attention.