Paramount+ and HBO Max’s catalogs have the most demand for movies over 20 years old
It’s not surprising that September was the most popular month for classic movies. “Top Gun,”This is still on the high of its new relevance following the release “Top Gun: Maverick”This was earlier in the year.
The original “Top Gun” had 44.9 times the average movie demand (impressive for a film over 35 years old), “Maverick” is still flying higher with 92 times the demand for the month, according to Parrot Analytics‘ data, which takes into account consumer research, streaming, downloads and social media, among other engagement.
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The most powerful movies streaming platforms can have are those that are current and popular. They are also great motivators to subscribers to sign up. However, as we see in this month’s data, classic movies can also be essential viewing. Original films within a franchise may see renewed attention as they grow. These classic movies are a great source of content that platforms can offer to their subscribers, even if they don’t have any franchises.
Two films from the original “Star Wars”The most sought-after movies of all time were the trilogy, which was released more than 20 years ago. This year, Disney+ has added new series to the network. “Star Wars”universe and brought viewers back to the classics which launched the franchise. “Obi-Wan Kenobi”Premiered May 31, “Andor” released its first three episodes on Sept. 21. Smart franchise extensions like these allow Disney to not only cash in on the new series’ success but also benefit from increased attention on legacy content.
Demand for “The Nightmare Before Christmas”It rose in October, when it experienced a seasonal spike of demand.
“Predator 2”It was one of 10 most popular classic movies in demand last month after the release the new movie in the series. “Prey,” on Hulu. The movie’s demand peaked around mid-August at the time of “Prey’s” premiere and has fallen since then.
10 classic movies most in-demand on streaming, September 2022 (Parrot Analytics).
There were many timeless favorites with high longevity that also made it to the top 10. It’s no surprise to see that both “Forrest Gump” “Titanic” still have strong demand decades after their release even without extensive franchises or the seasonal interest that has helped boost demand for some of the other films this month.
You might be surprised to find out “Anastasia” and “Spirited Away” as the most in-demand classic movies geared towards children given Disney’s deep catalog traditional dominance among children’s content.
When we compare the relative importance and popularity of classic films with the U.S. streaming libraries, it is clear that there are some players who leverage this legacy content more than others. HBO Max had the highest total demand in September for its film library, and the total demand on the platform for classic movies was greater than any streamer. In September, 36% of all movies on HBO Max were requested by films that were released 20 years or more ago.
(Parrot Analytics). Total movie demand on top streaming platforms in September 2022, U.S.
Paramount+, however, was the platform with the largest share of demand for its movie catalog coming from classic movies — 40% of demand for movies on Paramount+ was for films that were released in 2002 or earlier. Paramount has a large collection of classic movies that it can use for its streaming service. However, this number was increased by the success of the original. “Top Gun,”Paramount+ is the only streaming option.
Netflix had the second highest total demand for its movie catalogue in September. Despite this, only 11% of this demand was for movies more than 20 years old — a much smaller share than other platforms. This underscores the effort (and expense!) Netflix has to have a film library that is updated with the latest content. Netflix has made a significant leap in comparison to legacy media companies like Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros. Discovery, Netflix hasn’t been able to rest on decades of legacy content to bolster its film catalog. Fast forward 20 years and maybe things will look different with Netflix looking at today’s investments as tomorrow’s classics.
Christofer Hamilton, a senior insight analyst at Parrot Analytics (a WrapPRO partner), is Christofer. For more from Parrot Analytics, visit the Data and Analysis Hub.
