Netflix (illustration) – ROMAIN DOUCELIN / SIPA
If you’ve been trying to find a PS5 unsuccessfully for months, maybe you will take a break from your research and turn to Netflix. According to an article published on Friday by The Information, the American streaming giant is looking to hire a senior executive in charge of video games in order to diversify its activities and invest in a particularly lucrative sector. The Californian group has already held talks with several industry veterans for the launch of a new service, indicates the specialized press site, which quotes sources familiar with the matter.
The subscription could be similar to the Apple Arcade service, which gives unlimited access to a selection of video games. As with its films and series, Netflix would also like not to broadcast any advertising, reports The Information. The project seems for the moment to be only at an embryonic stage, the platform having for example not decided if it intends to develop its own games or to host the creations of third-party publishers.
A market of over $ 300 billion in revenue
Netflix’s ambitions in video games, however, indicate a desire to venture beyond its core business and participate in a market that represents more than $ 300 billion in revenue worldwide, according to a study published at the end of the day. April by consulting firm Accenture.
“We are continually expanding our offer, from series to documentaries, films, original creations in local languages and reality TV,” a Netflix spokesperson told AFP. “Our members can also benefit from a more direct connection to the stories they love through interactive programs like Bandersnatch and You vs. Wild or games based on Stranger Things, La Casa de Papel and To all the boys, he added. We are excited to do more with interactive entertainment. “
“We compete extremely broadly”
Netflix boss Reed Hastings has repeatedly stated that his company’s main competitors are not only other big names in streaming, like HBO, Hulu or Disney +, but also various entertainment platforms accessible from home or on his mobile.
“We compete extremely broadly,” for example explained Reed Hastings to analysts last October during the presentation of the quarterly results of Netflix. “We compete for attention both against TikTok and YouTube and against HBO and Fortnite », The famous game published by Epic Games.