In 2018, Netflix original shows and movies outpaced the subscription service's acquired content from other properties. Netflix began to change the movie industry in 1997 when it founded a program that allowed consumers to rent movies by mail through a monthly subscription service. In 2007, the company expanded to streaming, which transformed the way that consumers got their entertainment forever. Now, Netflix is more popular than traditional broadcast television, cable and other streaming services.

Netflix upended the entertainment industry so much that many began complaining when its original films started to get recognition from the Academy Awards. In 2019, the Netflix original movie Roma received 10 Oscar nominations and won three awards, which resulted in criticism against the company from many in the industry, including Steven Spielberg, who did not think the company's movies should qualify for the Academy Awards. Netflix has also made award-winning television shows, with a series of Emmys and Golden Globes for shows such as The Crown, House of Cards, Orange is the New Black and Making a Murderer. Netflix continues to expand its original programming and recently shared plans to open new studios in Toronto.

Although Netflix has always been where consumers also go to binge-watch old episodes of Friends and Star Trek, the company has slowly started to move away from acquired properties to focus more on original content. Deadline reports that according to a study by Ampere Analysis, Netflix original shows and movies outpaced its acquired TV shows and movies for the first time last year. In December 2018, 51 percent of Netflix programming came from original content, as opposed to only 25 percent in December 2016. Original content doesn't necessarily mean just shows produced by Netflix, though. It also includes series that Netflix created with the help of partners, such as The Crown, which the company produced with Sony.


The addition of original content will continue to become a trend for Netflix, especially now that the company stands to lose a lot of acquired properties. With other entertainment giants, such as Disney and WarnerMedia, beginning to launch streaming services, many of those companies' shows and movies will disappear on Netflix, meaning that to keep consumers happy, Netflix has to continue moving in its own direction. Disney's streaming service will probably become one of Netflix's most significant competitors, which is more than likely why Netflix canceled its Marvel shows.

Netflix has always been a company looking to the future. By providing more original content not available anywhere else, subscribers have more of a reason to stick around, especially when other companies start launching streaming services. Although consumers are already experiencing burn-out with the amount of streaming services now available, Netflix will manage to remain at the top of its game with the sheer number of its original TV shows and movies.