Netflix is king. The giant. The giant among streaming platforms. Like it or not, the streamer is definitely doing something right strategically, boasting over 320 million paid subscribers in 190 countries.
A recent Forbes survey of 1,000 Americans reveals that Netflix is the most popular of the streaming platforms, with 55 percent of respondents saying they use it. Moreover, its user interface (UI) is also the most popular, with 36% of users preferring it the most.
Amazon Prime Video’s user interface is second with 14%, confirming a significant difference.
However, some Netflix moves have frustrated subscribers. For example, at the beginning of 2025, it increased the prices for all plans. More recently, it removed streaming from its mobile app to most TVs, including Chromecast, sparking outrage from customers.
In January, subscribers voiced more concerns on Reddit, calling for improvements.
Reddit users claim that Netflix prioritizes numbers over quality, but its subscriber base continues to grow.Shutterstock” loading=”eager” height=”540″ width=”960″ class=”yf-lglytj loader”/>
Reddit users claim that Netflix prioritizes numbers over quality, but its subscriber base continues to grow.Shutterstock ·Shutterstock
An ongoing Reddit debate started by user Kmaysu sparked controversy and much of the original post was removed by moderators. Currently, viewers can only see the following:
“Netflix cancels masterpiece CLIFFHANGERS but renews trash like Emily in Paris is criminal.”
We recovered the original post in full via the Wayback Machine, where the user went on to complain about Netflix’s decision to cancel shows like “Mindhunter,” “The OA,” and “Lockwood & Co.,” leaving them “with unfinished stories and brutal cliffhangers.”
Kmaysu argued that subscribers should question whether it’s worth watching Netflix originals if they’re likely to be canceled.
Some users have also suggested that Netflix’s algorithm “favors excessively shallow content”.
While it might seem like a simple content quality debate, the thread received 5,700 likes and sparked over 980 comments. These numbers suggest that many subscribers agree, at least partially, with the statement made.
The general sentiment expressed in the Reddit thread largely supports the original post. Subscribers seem frustrated and express trust issues with the platform, feeling they shouldn’t bet their time with a new Netflix series.
User Turbulent_Sir_1018 wrote: “I will NEVER forgive them for canceling Marianne. Honestly, it was the last time I bothered to invest time and energy into something Netflix created.”
Subscribers said they were very disappointed that Netflix canceled other shows, including “The OA,” “Waterfront” and “Santa Clarita Diet.”
Some users, like letthetreeburn, suggested unsubscribing, writing: “Unsubscribe. I don’t mean this as ‘complain about capitalism, but participate in it!’ but as a pragmatist…they simplify, focus on cheap and easy, cut corners and I don’t enjoy, really enjoy, anything I look through them.”
Other users insisted that tastes vary and that most subscribers don’t have to agree that “Emily in Paris” is trash or it wouldn’t be renewed. Or at least, regardless of the quality, the show is exactly what subscribers need: “brain bite to throw away after a long day’s work.”
While the merits of “Emily in Paris” can be debated, the number of subscribers watching it may be unrelated to its quality, which is precisely the problem many subscribers point out: Netflix looks at numbers more than anything else.
As an audience-dependent business, Netflix must adapt to the preferences of its audience. However, the question remains: Where should Netflix draw the line?
We recently covered actor Matt Damon’s concerns about Netflix movie production, discussed on the January 16th episode of “The Joe Rogan Experience” podcast.
Damon explained that traditional action movies build to a big finale, saving the biggest drama for the third act. However, streaming platforms often hand over the biggest moment early on to grab attention and encourage repeat exposure, assuming viewers can be entertained while watching.
He also noted that streamers often encourage plot-heavy repetition in dialogue, not because it serves the story, but because they assume viewers are multitasking and may miss key details the first time around.
More entertainment:
As someone with a theater background, I am aware of the director’s struggles between delivering the artistic presentation he believes in and is passionate about and going with the interpretation that will satisfy the audience.
After all, the show is for the audience, right? And the theater cannot survive without it. As have movie theaters, which have declined significantly in popularity over the past decade.
Industry data backs this up, with global box office revenue expected to return to around $42 billion in 2024, while streaming platforms now generate around 48% of total movie revenue, up significantly from 32% in 2020. This highlights how digital viewing has reshaped the economics of film distribution, according to data from ReelMind.
In my experience, theaters would sometimes make a compromise: a show that lands between the original artistic vision and what appeals to the masses. To retain its substantial subscriber base and grow it further, Netflix needs to do the same.
Its latest numbers show that despite many frustrated subscribers, the platform continues to grow. Additionally, in its latest earnings results released on January 20, Netflix reported that fourth-quarter revenue rose 18% year-over-year, and the platform surpassed 325 million paid subscribers worldwide for the first time.
The company expects 2026 revenue to be $51 billion, up 14% year-over-year.
During the earring call, Netflix CEO Theodore Sarandos talked about how the company is no stranger to competition and change.
“Through this change in competition, we have become an entertainment company that excites an audience that is now approaching nearly 1 billion people,” Sarandos said, according to the call transcript.
It was referring to the number of people actually watching it in the same household under a single subscription.
It’s also important to note that Netflix’s plan to acquire Warner Bros. it is quite strategic. With the acquisition, the streamer would also acquire HBO/WB prestige content, which could balance the content quality offering, thus solving, at least in part, the “Emily in Paris brain mush” problem.
“We are working very hard to close the acquisition of Warner Brothers Studios and HBO, which we see as a strategic accelerator. And we are doing all this while driving and supporting healthy growth,” Sarandos said.
Despite pushback from Netflix subscribers over the quality of its steadily growing content, 1 billion people still want to watch it. With its strategic plans to expand its offering, the streamer confirms that it continues to rule the world of streaming.
Related: YouTube TV faces growing backlash as users demand key upgrade
This story was originally published by TheStreet on January 21, 2026, where it first appeared in Entertainment. Add TheStreet as a favorite source by clicking here.
