Expanding into the gaming industry has become a trend among media companies in recent years. With the competition for user attention growing and attention spans shrinking, streaming services and apps are seeking ways to captivate their audience. One lucrative avenue they have explored is gaming, considering that the global gaming market is worth around $221 billion.
Netflix, one of the leading streaming services, has ventured into gaming with a diverse portfolio of nearly 100 games. Their library includes popular titles like GTA: The Trilogy, Assassin’s Creed, and Monument Valley. What sets Netflix apart from its competitors is its vast intellectual property (IP) that allows them to tie games to original series like “Love Is Blind,” “The Queen’s Gambit,” and “Stranger Things.” Netflix’s gaming offering is accessible to subscribers of its streaming service through its mobile app on both iOS and Android devices. Subscribers can browse the game library and download their selected game separately from Google Play or Apple’s App Store.
To try Netflix’s games, users need to have a Netflix subscription, which comes in three tiers: Standard with ads ($6.99/month), Standard ($15.49/month), and Premium ($22.99/month). Currently, there are no add-on purchases or ads, but this might change in the future. Although Netflix entered the gaming industry in 2021, its offering gained significant traction recently, with 81.2 million worldwide downloads in 2023.
Netflix has been expanding its gaming section since its launch, with experiments like playing games directly in a browser, introducing gamer tags, and testing a cloud gaming service.
YouTube, another prominent platform, also recognized the potential of gaming and integrated gaming features into its service in May 2024. Known as “Playables,” YouTube’s offering provides access to over 75 minigames. These games, including Angry Birds Showdown, Cut the Rope, Trivia Crack, and 8 Ball Billiards Classic, are designed to be easy distractions for passing time or playing casually between YouTube video viewing sessions.
Previously, YouTube’s minigames were exclusive to Premium subscribers, but now they are free for all users. The games can be played on desktop, Android devices, and iOS devices without the need for downloads.
Sling TV, facing competition in the streaming industry, launched a free gaming platform called “Arcade” to attract and retain users. This DISH-owned streaming service lets viewers play classic arcade games while watching their favorite TV shows or movies. Currently, there are only 10 titles available on Arcade, including Doodle Jump, Solitaire Clash, Tetris, and Wheel of Fortune. Sling TV plans to add more titles every few months, especially before popular sporting events.
To access Arcade, users can press down on the player while watching a show or film and click on “Interactive Features.” The game will appear as a split screen next to the content being watched, allowing for convenient multitasking. Users also have the option to expand the game to full screen. Arcade is available on Sling TV and Sling Freestream, the company’s free ad-supported streaming service. However, it is currently only supported on select devices such as Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Comcast, Samsung, and Vizio devices.
Gaming is not limited to entertainment platforms; even LinkedIn has joined the gaming scene. LinkedIn’s foray into gaming represents a significant expansion beyond its professional networking platform. In May, LinkedIn announced the launch of three games: Queens, a Sudoko-style game; Crossclimb, a trivia game; and Pinpoint, a game similar to The New York Times’ Connections game. These games aim to foster connections within users’ networks and can be played with first-degree connections on LinkedIn. Each game can be played once a day.
In conclusion, as media companies strive to retain users on their platforms, the gaming industry has become an attractive revenue stream worth exploring. Netflix, YouTube, Sling TV, and even LinkedIn have all ventured into gaming to captivate their audience. With diverse game libraries, accessible platforms, and unique features, these companies are successfully incorporating gaming into their offerings and expanding their reach in the competitive streaming market.