Bold Predictions: What May Shake Up Streaming in 2026
The streaming industry enters 2026 at a crossroads.
After years of explosive growth, subscriber fatigue, and a crowded marketplace, something has to give.
We asked our team to share their boldest predictions for what’s coming next, and one theme emerged louder than all others: consolidation is inevitable, but the ripple effects may surprise you.
The Consolidation Countdown
If there’s one prediction the Reelgood team agrees on, it’s that the streaming landscape will have fewer players by year’s end.
“A few smaller streaming services, especially those relying on a pure subscription model, will likely shut down or be acquired by a larger service,” says Daniela Velasco, Lead Data Analyst. “The market is overcrowded, and unless these services pivot to an AVOD model, sustaining subscriber growth and retention will become increasingly difficult.”
The pending Netflix-Warner Bros. Discovery deal looms large in team discussions. But not everyone agrees on how it will play out. Pablo Lucio Paredes, Head of Engineering and Data, offers a contrarian view: “Paramount will be the one to buy HBO, not Netflix.” The Netflix/WBD transaction, he believes, won’t go through.
Whatever the outcome, Marina Germani, QA and Data Entry Analyst, captures the competitive anxiety pervading the industry: “The WB acquisition really raises the bar for future mergers. I feel like streaming services will focus on keeping their customers loyal, maybe by lowering prices or offering really tempting content to keep people around.”
The Business Model Reckoning
Beyond consolidation, several team members predict fundamental shifts in how streaming services generate revenue.
“A big streaming service might ditch the all-in on subscriptions model and go heavy on ads, or even pause making original content, just to stay profitable,” predicts Liseth Mina Rosero, Data Entry Specialist and QA. “With rising costs and too many players in the game, someone’s going to shift gears in a big way to survive.”
Engineering Lead Damien Capocchi agrees, predicting “a major paid service will add an ad-supported pricing tier.” The subscription-only era, it seems, is drawing to a close.
Renato Avilés of the Data Entry Team takes this further, suggesting Netflix may “prioritize direct-to-streaming releases over theatrical distribution. This shift could have a significant economic impact on cinemas worldwide, as theaters would either lose access to major titles or receive them only for very limited theatrical runs.”
The Live Sports Land Grab
Another major shift the team anticipates: streaming services aggressively pursuing live events.
“Live events, especially sports, will become standard and more common for every service,” says Miguel Callejas, Lead, Data Entry Team. These platforms are “trying to earn a bigger slice of this multi-billion dollar industry.”
Andrés Granizo, Analyst on the Data Entry Team, sees this reshaping pricing strategies: “Some services will offer more live products, based on the biggest events like sports and awards. That can change what they offer, but can increase the subscription prices.”
Netflix’s NFL Christmas games, which ranked as the 24th most-watched U.S. telecast, signaled the beginning of this trend. Expect 2026 to accelerate it.
The Creator Economy Comes to Streaming
Diego Suarez, Data Analyst, offers a prediction that could reshape what “streaming content” even means: “Streaming services will include more individual content creators in their catalogues to appeal to the trends of younger demographics. This implies a move to include more linear programming and might also require a way for users to directly interact with live streams.”
This blurring of lines between traditional streaming and creator-driven platforms like YouTube and Twitch could mark a significant evolution in how services compete for younger audiences.
The AI Content Flood
Javier Moran, Engineering Manager, points to a different disruption: “Some AI-generated content will start to pop up. Being able to recognize it will be important.”
As AI tools lower production barriers, streaming catalogs may soon include content produced at scale and speed previously unimaginable. For services and audiences alike, distinguishing human-crafted content from AI-generated material will become a new challenge.
The Piracy Paradox
Perhaps the boldest prediction comes from Felipe Lemarie, Data Science Lead, who warns of an unintended consequence: “More consolidation, but that will also lead to more piracy.”
As services merge and content becomes harder to access across fragmented libraries, some viewers may turn to unauthorized sources. For an industry built on capturing the cord-cutting generation, this potential reversal deserves attention.
What It All Means
These predictions point to a 2026 defined by difficult choices. Services will need to decide whether to merge, pivot business models, or double down on live content to differentiate.
Those treating their catalogs and metadata as strategic assets, rather than maintenance work, will have the competitive intelligence to navigate these shifts.
The streaming wars aren’t ending. They’re evolving.
