Why Netflix Shouldn’t Be YouTube

mrbeast
MrBeast has 400 million YouTube subscribers, and that’s the rub: Fans seem just as happy to watch their favorite YouTuber perform his massive stunts on YouTube, and for free. Photo: Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images for MrBeast Burger
Julia Alexander
July 1, 2025

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Recently, Wells Fargo analyst Steven Cahall sent a provocative note to clients, arguing that Netflix should consider poaching top YouTube creators. (He also followed it up with an appearance on The Town.) The proposal didn’t go so far as to suggest that Netflix should suddenly become a destination for user-generated content, only that it should work to expand what subscribers expect from the platform. After all, the more dynamic content available, the longer that audiences will (theoretically) stick around. And Netflix, of course, has pushed into new territory in recent years—introducing more sports, shortform content, and even video games.