Streaming Services Dismantled Traditional Media Distribution

BreakPoints Unmasking Tech Interruptions · Feb 24, 2026 · 10m

Streaming services, beginning with Netflix in 2007 and accelerating with Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, and others, disrupted the entire entertainment distribution industry. This episode begins by examining the pre-streaming world where entertainment was distributed through physical media (DVDs, Blu-rays) or cable television with scheduled programming. Netflix disrupted this by offering on-demand access to vast libraries of content for a monthly subscription. We trace how streaming disrupted the DVD rental business (including Blockbuster's collapse), cable television, and traditional movie…