Netflix Catching Heat From Hulu Users Over Recent Content Additions

The 'streaming wars' are in full swing, and subscribers are clearly taking sides. This weekend, [...]

By Michael Hein

The "streaming wars" are in full swing, and subscribers are clearly taking sides. This weekend, Netflix took some serious heat from users who noticed they've been spending more time on Hulu lately. They discussed the discrepancies on social media, wondering if it was worth it juggling all these subscriptions when they were using some more than others.

May is a big month for Hulu, with The Handmaid's Tale Season 4 premiering at last and a number of other bingeable shows joining the catalog. The streaming service added some reality TV hits, some blockbuster movies and some nostalgic hits all at once. Netflix spruced up its offerings as always as well, yet some amateur observers felt that the two were not measuring up. This was a cause for debate in some cases, but either way, the conversation played out, and that is probably not something Netflix likes to see.

In particular, many subscribers' most recent memory of Netflix in the news was the announcement of its TikTok reality series, which will follow the residents of the "Hype House." They compared this unfavorably with the reality TV binges they could have on Hulu, including Bad Girls Club, Are You The One? and Married to Medicine.

This new form of playful tribalism among streaming fans is not a good objective measure of each service's success, but it is interesting to watch — especially since public perception on social media can shape the course of the future in this industry. Scroll down for a look at the conversation online.

Major Acquisitions

The conversation started with a tweet about Bad Girls Club, but it soon turned to other catalog changes as well. Many people listed the reason they left one platform or joined another.

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Price

On top of content selection, users noted that Netflix is much more expensive than Hulu — though to be fair, Netflix does not have an ad-supported option.

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Bad Example

Some defended Netflix by mocking the example of Bad Girls Club, saying that Netflix still had more critically acclaimed content. Others said that that wasn't always the point, since some just want to stream a simple comfort watch from time to time.

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Accounts

A few users could only speculate about when they'd choose to subscribe or cancel certain social media platforms, since they are actually sharing log-in information with friends or family.

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Time Table

Many had Netflix original series they still wanted to watch, but they complained that the platform took too long between seasons. Some even said they had suspended their subscriptions, and they would renew them when their favorite show returned.

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Spread the News

The thread also became a place for users to share recommendations and titles they didn't know they had access to.

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Decline

Finally, many fans still marked the beginning of the "streaming wars" as the launch of Disney+. Since then, other apps such as Apple TV+, HBO Max and Peacock have stepped up to claim some users, in addition to the long-lived Hulu.

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