Curled up under my fuzziest blanket I turn on the TV and head over to Netflix. I scroll down to my “Continue Watching” and scan the luminescent rectangles for my current binge, “Friends.”Panic strikes as I move towards the search bar, my heart beats faster with every letter typed. I hit enter and pray. It is gone forever. How am I supposed to fill the Rachel shaped gap in my heart with a cheap Netflix original called “Falling Inn Love”? While Friends may not have left just yet, we all anticipate its soon departure with a feeling of dread.If Netflix does not step up its game soon its competitors are going to bury it. 

Friends is not the only show being dropped from Netflix. In addition to losing all their Disney content, “The Office” will leave Netflix this January. “The Office” is arguably the most watched show on Netflix, generating the most viewing hours for the streaming service. These shows are all but disappearing, leaving for different streaming services. 

Multiple companies have entered the stream war in hopes to take a bite out what was once Netflix’s monopoly. Amazon, Hulu and even Apple offer cheaper subscription costs than Netflix’s whopping $8.99-15.99 a month plans. These alternative sites bring more to the table than Netflix including sports stations or cable options if desired. 

Out of all the new companies Netflix has to watch out for, Disney is the one that could lead to “A Series of Unfortunate Events”. Disney plus will offer all Disney movies and TV shows ever created including but not limited to Star Wars, Marvel, Pixar, ABC and National Geographic.This includes all of the Disney classics that have been stripped from Netflix. Disney owns the box offices right now, and if they start offering new movies exclusively on Disney Plus, it could spell out bad news for Netflix, especially because of the $7 dollar a month subscription fee, $5 if you sign up for a year in advance. At this point Netflix has a lot to lose and very little to gain.   

It is important to note that while Netflix changed the way we watch TV, it did not change what we watch. Netflix’s platform was first made up of shows that were already popular. Now that contracts are ending and other companies are pirating the most watched shows, netflix has had to fall on their Netflix Originals, which are hit and miss. While some turn out to be really good, most turn out to be huge busts. For every “Stranger Things” there are 10 “The Perfect Dates”.

Netflix you are no longer my lobster.