Two things have remained a constant for as long as humans have been around: people have to work, and they have to have fun. While work may not be something we want to do, it is something we have to do. Entertainment, on the other hand, is both something we need and something we want. And throughout the years, entertainment has certainly changed.
The Rise of Streaming
In the 21st century, a new type of media came about, best suited for the new age. With the internet being a household commodity, most of our entertainment in the 2020s comes from the online world. We tend to want efficiency when it comes to media consumption. Certainly, the most convenient way to consume media in 2023 is to sign up for a streaming service.
Websites like Netflix, YouTube, Twitch, Hulu, Crunchyroll, Spotify and more, have all greatly contributed to our ability to enjoy media. Whether we are on the go, at home, in the car, or at a friend’s, we have constant access to the media we enjoy, thanks to these websites.
The Benefits of Streaming
One of the major benefits of streaming websites like Netflix is that we have our media readily available at all times. We can go back through our catalog, watch the shows we’ve rated highly or the ones we’ve not gotten to yet, and we can do all this for a monthly fee.
Streaming sites have also made it possible for smaller, independent creators to have a venue where they can put out content. Shows like Derry Girl might never have garnered an audience had it not been for Netflix. Tons of indie musicians also have an easier time garnering an audience on Spotify.
But, let’s be honest, films, television, music, all of these industries would be just fine without streaming. While it certainly helps, TV has been going strong for decades, films for an entire century and music has endured since the dawn of humanity. What are the industries that greatly benefit from streaming?
The iGaming Industry
Many of you might not have heard the term, but you are certainly familiar with the iGaming industry. It refers to online gambling and sports betting. The industry is largely growing, as many more people are pouring through gambling guides, looking for a good casino online, and discovering the market in general.
A big reason for the recent success of iGaming has to do with “live dealer casinos.” For the unaware, live dealer casinos are exactly what they sound like. A live dealer is holding the cards or standing in front of the roulette wheel while the audience makes bets from the live chat. The dealer then spins the wheel or deals the cards, and the rest is just a simple game.
These live casinos serve to recapture the magic of the brick-and-mortar gambling hall. None of it would be possible without the necessary streaming technology that exists today.
The Anime Industry
The anime industry has a long history of peaks and valleys when it comes to the Western market. It first hit it big in the 80s, in large part thanks to graphic novel adaptations of famous manga, like Akira, Lone Wolf and Cub, and Fist of the North Star.
The 80s and 90s were also accompanied by top-notch anime films, such as the incredibly , the now classic Ghost in the Shell, and the tragic tale Grave of the Fireflies. Of course, Dragon Ball Z is what got many people to become anime fans in the west.
However, anime today is more popular than ever. And we largely have streaming sites to thank for this. Crunchyroll is the number one anime streaming website in 2023. They host a load of long-running series, as well as plenty of short, intro-level anime.
But it doesn’t end with them. Netflix also hosts a rather hefty portion of anime series, even producing the latest Black Clover film. The company has even , such as Kakegurui, Baki the Grappler, and more.
It is certainly tough to say whether anime would be as big as it is today were it not for Netflix, Hulu, and other similar websites.
The Online Entertainment Industry
Lastly, we would like to discuss an industry that would not be possible without streaming: the online entertainment industry. It all began in 2007, before streaming was even invented, when a few people came up with the concept of a video-sharing platform. YouTube soon took off, growing to the point that many YouTubers now view the site as their primary source of income.
While streaming was unnecessary for , the popularity of the website led heavily to streaming sites like Twitch, for example. Pretty soon, even the old-school video-sharing websites, like YouTube and Hulu, hopped aboard the live-streaming bandwagon. However, in 2023, Twitch remains the king of streams.
The online entertainment industry has managed to create some top-quality content creators, many of whom have proven their worth by breaking through into the old-school entertainment industry. Examples here would be musicians like Childish Gambino, who became a successful actor and rapper, and Post-Malone, who continues to appear in many YouTubers’ videos and podcasts.
The online entertainment industry is one of the fastest-growing forms of fun, with most Gen Z fans largely focusing on it, rather than more traditional forms of entertainment.
Final Thoughts
Who knows what the future of entertainment holds? Perhaps we will see incredible new developments, such as a fully virtual world or holographic films. Or, perhaps not much will change, and we will continue to consume streaming content through smartphones and tablets.
Whatever happens, one thing is certain: the changing of technology has always contributed to people changing their position on media and entertainment. People used to think you were strange if you played video games. Now, video games are a mainstream form of fun.
What we are trying to say is this: the changing of society, both cultural and technological, will certainly have an impact on the way we consume entertainment, as well as the entertainment that we consume.