Article Hero

Netflix - A Game Changer with Video Game Streaming?

Maria Gregoriou
Maria Gregoriou
30 August 2023

Netflix is King of the market when it comes to streaming services with 39.4% market share, but to remain as King it must keep churning out more content and find new ways to keep its subscribers entertained and happy. Its latest business venture comes in the form of video game streaming and promises to make games playable on every device.

Read on to find out more about the latest move from Netflix. 

Gaming on the go with no fuss

Now in its beta test stage, the company’s expansion into the video game industry could be a game changer as it will offer its subscribers gaming on-the-go. No more consoles, no more downloading, and no more heavy lifting, just gaming wherever you are. This may sound like a dream to players as the games will be on the Netflix servers, but will they be able to handle the pressure of storing so much data?

According to reports by CBS News, only a limited number of subscribers from Canada and the U.K. have been selected to experience video game streaming as part of this testing period. Testing of the games has started on TVs and will move to PCs and Macs via the Netflix website soon.  

Netflix (NFLX) began to branch out into video games in 2021 with Netflix Games on mobile devices. This was, according to Netflix Vice President of Games, Mike Verdu, the “first step in making games playable on every device where our members enjoy Netflix – TVs, computers, and mobile”.  

Verdu also said that “by making games available on more devices, we hope to make games even easier to play for our members around the world” He ended with “while we're still very early in our games journey, we're excited to bring joy to members with games". 

netflix twitter.png

Netflix Geeked X Account, November 2, 2021.

For now, the selected players testing the games will be able to use their mobile phones as controllers while streaming on TV. Players on PC will be able to play on the Netflix site using a keyboard and mouse.  

The gaming competitors: Sony, Microsoft, Google

Netflix is known for creating its own content when it comes to streaming movies and series. For a long time, it was the only one to do so, but pretty soon Amazon (AMZN), Disney Plus, HBO Max, and Hulu started to also get in on the action. T4 Strategy & Advisory illustrates this in the chart below. 

netflix market share.png

T4 Strategy & Advisory. Netflix Market Share among Top 5 Streaming Services, Subscriber Count, 2020.

Now with the introduction of game streaming, Netflix faces other competitors. Sony backs the video gaming brand PlayStation while Microsoft owns Xbox, which recently announced it will be closing down its 360 store in July 2024.

Google also tried its luck with its cloud gaming service named Stadia in November 2019. After being criticized for its lack of game variety and not delivering the features it promised, Google discontinued the service on January 18, 2023. Even so, Google is a leading technology company and may also be considered as a competitor Netflix should keep its eye on.  

Quarter Earnings  

Netflix’s latest earnings report shows a net income of $1,487,610, up from $1,305,120 for the first quarter. According to a letter to shareholders on July 19th 2023, this gain was driven by a 6% increase in average paid memberships. 

netflix quarter.png

Table of Netflix revenue. Source: Netflix letter to shareholders, July 19, 2023.

For the third quarter, for which we can expect a report on October 16th, Netflix forecasts its revenue will be at $8.5B. This is expected to come from the growth in average paid memberships. As expressed in the letter to shareholders, revenue growth is forecasted to continue for the fourth quarter as the company further profits from “account sharing between households and steadily grow advertising revenue”.  

Upgrade of stock

On Thursday August 24th, Jefferies analyst, Andrew Uerkwitz, upgraded the NFLX stock to Buy from Hold and also increased his price target to $385 from $310 per share. The reasoning behind his upgrade is the company’s recently launched advertising tier and its crackdown on password sharing. In his notes to clients, Uerkwitz said advertising video-on-demand, “will be slow to kick in, but when it does (paired with password sharing changes), it should drive top line outperformance".  

On the same day Netflix shares were up around 1%. Since January, shares of the streaming giant have been up more than 10% and 15.89% over the past quarter.  

How to make game changers part of your portfolio with CAPEX.com

Follow the steps below to make any of the publicly traded game changes part of your portfolio.

1. Log in to your CAPEX.com account.

2. Be sure your account is already funded with our flexible payment options.

3. Go to the search icon at the top left of your WebTrader and enter the name of the company you are interested in and for which we provide trading on.

4. Select the instrument and enter the amount you wish and select the asset of your choice.

5. That’s it! If your transaction was successful, you will be notified.

Summary

  • Netflix is testing out its video game streaming services.
  • Testing has started on TVs and will move to PCs and Macs via the Netflix website soon.
  • Netflix hopes to make games even easier to play for its members around the world.
  • Netflix has to compete with other gaming services like PlayStation and Xbox.
  • Revenue in Q2 grew 3% year-over-year.
  • The steaming giant expects its revenue for Q3 to be $8.5B.  
  • Wall Street has upgraded Netflix stock to Buy from Hold.
  • Netflix shares have been up more than 15.89% over the past quarter.

 

 

This information/research prepared by Miguel A. Rodriguez does not take into account the specific investment objectives, financial situation, or particular needs of any particular person. The research analyst primarily responsible for the content of this research report, in part or in whole, certifies that the views about the companies and their securities expressed in this report accurately reflect his/her personal views and consequently any person acting on it does so entirely at their own risk.The research provided does not constitute the views of KW Investments Ltd nor is it an invitation to invest with KW Investments Ltd. The research analyst also certifies that no part of his/her compensation was, is, or will be, directly, or indirectly, related to specific recommendations or views expressed in this report.The research analyst in not employed by KW Investments Ltd. You are encouraged to seek advice from an independent financial adviser regarding the suitability of the investment, under a separate engagement, as you deem fit that conforms to your specific investment objectives, financial situation, or particular financial needs before making a commitment to invest. The laws of the Republic of Seychelles shall govern any claim relating to or arising from the contents of the information/ research provided. 

Share this article

How did you find this article?

Awful
Ok
Great
Awesome

Read More

Maria Gregoriou
Maria Gregoriou
Financial Writer

Maria Gregoriou writes marketing content to excite traders and for CAPEX.com. Maria has over 25 years of experience in professional writing, from technical writing to journalism and marketing, both in-house and on a freelance basis. On the personal side, she writes poetry and short stories for children. Over the past five years, Maria has been working in the financial sector where she has been creating marketing copy, editing content, and preparing material to go live. She was also given the chance to mentor other writers along the way.