Netflix CEO Reveals The One App That Is Their Biggest Threat (And It’s Not Disney+)

In the high-stakes world of streaming wars, industry analysts have spent years pitting Netflix against traditional media giants like Disney+, HBO Max (now Max), and Amazon Prime Video. However, during the company’s recent earnings call in January 2026, Netflix’s leadership dropped a bombshell that shifted the narrative entirely. The true behemoth keeping them up at night isn’t another subscription service offering premium dramas; it is the free, ubiquitous app sitting on almost every smartphone in the world: YouTube.

The admission came amidst a flurry of financial news for the streaming giant. While Netflix reported impressive numbers—surpassing 325 million paid subscribers and generating over $12 billion in revenue for the fourth quarter of 2025—the tone of the leadership was cautious. Co-CEOs Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters highlighted a significant shift in consumer behavior that poses a direct challenge to their dominance. The enemy is no longer just other studios; it is the sheer volume of time users spend on social video platforms.

The Real Competition is “The Tube”

Ted Sarandos, usually confident in Netflix’s content supremacy, was candid about the changing landscape. He noted that YouTube has evolved far beyond its origins as a repository for user-generated cat videos and vlogs. “They are TV,” Sarandos remarked during the call. He pointed out that the Google-owned platform now competes in every meaningful dimension: they vie for the same creative talent, the same advertising dollars, and, most critically, the same hours of viewer attention.

The statistics back up this fear. With YouTube securing rights to major cultural events like the Oscars and lucrative sports packages like the NFL Sunday Ticket, the line between “social media” and “premium television” has blurred. For younger generations, the distinction is nonexistent. They open YouTube not just for clips, but for long-form entertainment, news, and sports, effectively turning it into a one-stop-shop that requires no monthly subscription fee for the basic experience.

Changing the App to Survive

To combat this, Netflix is not just banking on new movies; they are fundamentally redesigning how you interact with their service. Co-CEO Greg Peters announced a major overhaul of the Netflix mobile app scheduled for later in 2026. The goal? To make it feel less like a static library and more like a dynamic, social-feed-driven experience.

Reports indicate the new design will lean heavily on vertical video and “short-form” discovery feeds, mimicking the addictive scroll of TikTok and YouTube Shorts. By offering bite-sized previews, behind-the-scenes clips, and video podcasts directly within the app, Netflix hopes to capture the engagement of users who have only five or ten minutes to spare—a demographic they are currently losing to the infinite scroll of their competitors.

The Content Weapon: Stranger Things

While corporate strategy and app redesigns dominate the headlines, the lifeblood of Netflix remains its blockbuster content. No project exemplifies this “event television” power more than Stranger Things. As the company braces for its battle with YouTube, it is heavily relying on the massive anticipation surrounding the show’s fifth and final season to keep subscribers locked in.

For those who haven’t been following the cultural phenomenon, Stranger Things is a sci-fi horror drama created by the Duffer Brothers. Set in the 1980s in the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana, the series centers on a group of young friends who witness supernatural forces and secret government exploits. The show is anchored by its nostalgia-heavy aesthetic, referencing everything from Stephen King novels to Steven Spielberg films, and features a synth-heavy soundtrack that has become iconic.

The series catapulted its young cast to international superstardom. Millie Bobby Brown, who plays the telekinetic Eleven, has arguably had the most meteoric rise. Since the show’s debut, she has evolved from a child actor into a bona fide industry mogul. Beyond her role in Stranger Things, she has starred in and produced the successful Enola Holmes franchise and launched her own beauty line, Florence by Mills. Recently, she has been in the news for her marriage to Jake Bongiovi, son of rock legend Jon Bon Jovi, further cementing her status as a fixture in pop culture news.

As the show heads toward its conclusion, the stakes couldn’t be higher. The previous season ended with the villainous entity “Vecna” succeeding in his plan to merge the nightmarish “Upside Down” dimension with the real world, leaving Hawkins in ruins. The final season is expected to be a massive, movie-length spectacle for each episode, focusing on the final stand of the original group. For Netflix, Stranger Things is not just a TV show; it is a retention tool, a merchandise engine, and a reminder that while YouTube has volume, Netflix still has the power to create global cultural moments that everyone talks about at once.

We’d love to hear what you think—do you find yourself spending more time on YouTube than Netflix these days, or is premium storytelling still king for you? Tell us in the comments.