FilmStruck has been Struck Down, as Big Companies Don’t Care for Niche Markets

Warner Media has recently declared that it is ending FilmStruck, the streaming service that caters classic, independent, and rare films to a very loyal fan base.

Needless to say, members of the cult-like following that this service has gained since its beginning in 2016 were quite upset at this news. Grass roots fans, as well as prominent ones like director Rian Johnson and writer Kaleb Horton, have voiced their disapproval of this decision.

A lot of fans even reported that they would not mind paying more for this service, which costs a subscription fee of either $11 per month or $99 per year.

However, Warner Media is not interested. They did not offer user numbers, but simply stated that they were not high enough. The company recognized that the loyal fans exist, but called FilmStruck a “niche service.”

Warner Media, now under AT&T, wants to focus on reaching bigger audiences. They also want HBO to appeal to more people and shut down the quirky comedy-filled digital service SuperDeluxe for this reason as well.

Since streaming services first began, it was assumed that their lower costs (compared to traditional entertainment’s need for distribution and marketing for original content) and ease of finding an audience, made it perfectly fine for niche markets. A huge consumer base was not needed, so streaming services that appealed to specific groups could still thrive. In regard to original content, companies could focus on creating high quality content for these niche markets.

Now with bigger companies entering the streaming world, and the end of FIlmStruck and other “niche” services, we can see that the new era of streaming will be different. Appealing to a larger audience seems to be a priority, and so, content will change to appeal to the masses. This will certainly be a loss for fans and viewers of these “niche” services like FilmStruck.