With cinemas closing and millions of people around the world trapped at home in quarantine, could Covid-19 be a boon for streamers such as Netflix?
Was the coronavirus engineered by Netflix? This was one of the wilder conspiracy theories doing the rounds earlier this month, as observers noted how the streaming giant’s new docuseries Pandemic: How to Prevent an Outbreak dropped into subscribers’ menus just as the world was experiencing exactly the type of once-in-a-century outbreak it was warning against. Coincidence? Good timing? Massively implausible homicidal marketing strategy? “We hoped to inform before, not after, another dangerous pathogen emerged,” explained Pandemic’s producers.
But now that the Covid-19 virus is disrupting global business and behaviour, streamers like
Netflix seem to be in a fortunate position. Public gatherings are being discouraged or avoided, including cinema-going. High-profile releases are being postponed, such as the latest
James Bond instalment, No Time to Die, Peter Rabbit 2, A Quiet Place Part II and Fast & Furious 9. People are being quarantined or self-isolating, which means they are trapped at home with hours to fill like never before. In other words, conditions are perfect for a marathon binge-watch.