• by Wayne Friedman , Staff Writer, September 29, 2021

Netflix held its first global consumer event over the weekend -- called TUDUM-- talking up 100 new TV shows and movies coming soon.

Yes, coming soon. That’s a lot, and a reminder of just how big Netflix is.

Why this move from the dominant streamer? Perhaps looming competition from major media companies for shifting streaming subscribers? Yes, sure. But maybe it’s a new brand spin.

(The meaning of TUDUM? Guessing it is a take on "ta-dum" or maybe "da-dum." The first edition of TUDUM was a localized event in Brazil in January 2020.)

There has been much discussion about the slow U.S. growth at Netflix. But analysts continue to focus more on global growth for the overall health of the company.

In the U.S. perhaps, the worry for Netflix might be focused on subscriber churn -- negative churn that established premium TV cable networks suffered occasionally in the 1990s and early 2000s.

Another spin about those upcoming 100 new Netflix TV shows and movies -- many coming in the next couple of months: Netflix doesn’t exactly build long-term franchises. Many TV shows only last one, two or three seasons.

So the new message might be its building volume.

Viewing the Netflix event in terms of its competitors, especially Walt Disney, and by way of Disney+, it comes down to this: Disney’s big longtime consumer brand loyalty is legendary.

For many, that what’s missing at Netflix -- even with loyalty to specific shows, like “Stranger Things,” “Bridgerton,” “Manifest,” “Cobra Kai,” “Sex Education” and others. That's even when Netflix routinely dominated overall streaming weekly time usage in many categories, according to Nielsen.

Netflix works differently than other TV platforms. For years, when traditional TV networks said goodbye to TV series, creatives worried about giving loyal viewers a proper sendoff.

Netflix server research may suggest consumers don't care, especially if they are watching other big Netflix shows at the same time -- or other shows that compete for their attention. 

If its new brand message is -- “We’re Netflix. We bring tons of new TV shows and movies to you, way more than the other guys” -- that message may be gaining steam.

Is there room to grow? Some 800 million people globally pay for some version of TV, according to Nat Schindler, media analyst at Bank of America. Netflix has 209 million worldwide subscribers. More volume angles to come.