A new analyst report that looks at downloads and user data could show the winners and losers and what's ahead for the streaming sector.
The Media and Internet Report: JPMorgan analysts led by David Karnovsky released a report on streaming downloads and user data using data from Sensor Tower, the iOS App Store (AAPL ) and Google Play (GOOG ) (GOOGL ).
"Results in November were generally positive, with global downloads and DAUs mostly up on a sequential basis," the analyst report said.
Here's a look at some of the companies highlighted in the report.
The Walt Disney Company (DIS ): Disney+ downloads were down 6% month-over-month in November, which marked an improvement after two straight months of double-digit declines. The premiere of "Deadpool & Wolverine" on the platform was the key release and may have led to some of the improved figures. The analyst said December includes the premieres of "Star Wars: Skeleton Crew," "Dream Productions" and "Doctor Who: Joy to the World." The ESPN tile being added to Disney+ could also help boost usage on the streaming platform, the analyst said, with some sports content available to Disney+ users without having a subscription.
"We think this is a positive step for the service and should boost overall engagement while potentially creating a new audience," the report noted.
Hulu, which is majority owned by Disney, saw downloads drop 5% month-over-month in November and daily active users fall 1% month-over-month, which came after two straight months of increases.
Paramount Global (PARA ): The media company is highlighted as a winner in the report with Paramount+ global downloads up 32% month-over-month in November, marking the platform's largest sequential gain since February 2024. The premiere of "Landman" and "The Agency" may have contributed to the gains. "Landman" was the biggest series launch on Paramount+ in two years according to the report.
Netflix Inc (NFLX ): Global downloads were up 14% year-over-year in November, an improvement from a -2% year-over-year decline in November. The increase may have been attributed by new content that included the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson live boxing event. The figures could get even better for the month of December.
"We believe content builds into year-end and 2025," the report said.
The report also cites several new movies and series along with the highly anticipated return of "Squid Game" and two NFL games on Christmas Day.
Amazon.com Inc (AMZN ): Streaming platform Prime Video saw downloads down 7% year-over-year and daily active users down 8% year-over-year. The analysts expect a strong December for the platform with the premiere of "Beast Games" on Dec. 19 and several other series.
Comcast Corporation (CMCSA ): Streaming platform Peacock saw November downloads up 31% month-over-month, which may have been thanks to 2024 election day coverage and the debut of "Twisters" during the month. A Black Friday special of $19.99 per year for Peacock may have also attributed to the better numbers, the analyst said.
Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD ): Max downloads were up 20% month-over-month in November, with the launch of the streaming platform in Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan and Hong Kong the likely reason. Downloads were down 5% month-over-month for the United States and Canada and up 29% in the other territories. Daily active users and monthly active users were also up month-over-month, including in the United States and Canada region.
Why It's Important: Based on the findings of the report, Paramount+ and Max are singled out as having strong Novembers. Prime Video and Netflix could be set for strong Decembers thanks to the release of "Beast Games" for Amazon and "Squid Game" and NFL games for Netflix.
