Netflix’s commissioning of Sci-Fi & Fantasy TV shows declined drastically in the second quarter of 2019, with the company announcing just seven new Sci-Fi & Fantasy shows—down from 19 in the first quarter, and 20 in Q3 2018. In Q1 2019, Sci-Fi & Fantasy titles represented almost a quarter of Netflix’s commissioned shows, but this fell to just under 12% in Q2 2019, continuing at this reduced rate into Q3.

Sci-Fi & Fantasy titles accounted for 7% of Netflix’s wider US catalogue in September 2019, growing from 6% in September 2018. While Netflix is still commissioning Sci-Fi & Fantasy at a greater rate than it acquires titles in the genre, this catalogue growth looks set to slow as a result of the decline in commissioning activity.

Production costs for Sci-Fi & Fantasy have traditionally been high, even in comparison with other scripted genres. The widely reported rise in scripted content production costs is likely to be a contributing factor to the company’s cut-back on Sci-Fi & Fantasy show commissions. Yet, even with this shift away from the heavy Sci-Fi & Fantasy commissioning we have now become accustomed to seeing from the SVoD giant, Netflix will remain a dominant force in the genre. Indeed, Netflix single-handedly accounted for over 18% of all US Sci-Fi & Fantasy commissions announced in 2018, across both linear and VoD platforms. This recent strategic cut-back will simply begin to bring the company’s commissioning rate more in line with that of other SVoD majors such as Amazon, allowing it to remain competitive while also leaving space for an uptick in commissions in other scripted genres such as Crime & Thriller which appeal to an older demographic. Ampere’s consumer analysis shows a steady increase in the proportion of Netflix subscribers who fall into the over-35 age brackets, and this tweak to its commissioning strategy is an indication that, with its already strong position in youth-skewing genres such as Sci-Fi & Fantasy assured, Netflix has set its sights on reinforcing its catalogue’s appeal to a broader demographic. Ampere’s advance polling of the new SVoD services – including Disney+, Apple TV+ and HBO Max – indicates that the under-35 bracket will be a major battlefield for the new entrants next year. With increased competition in youth-skewing genres like Sci-Fi & Fantasy, demographic diversity will be crucial for Netflix in weathering the impending direct-to-consumer storm.