Every streaming platform performs all possible strategies to remain on top of the competition, as the fight for viewership is fiercer. With the rise of leading animation studios shaping the industry in 2025, major platforms like Netflix, Disney Plus, and Amazon Prime Video are doubling down on animated content to captivate audiences. The vast availability of these services has undoubtedly altered our viewing habits greatly.
The change in demand between the most popular animation companies and the major streaming platforms is undeniable.
Let’s explore why this is the case and how it is shaping the streaming world.
Increasing Demand for Streaming Services
With the decreased use of television, there is a noticeable shift toward consuming content on streaming services for entertainment purposes, whether for 2D animation or 3D animation.
To remain one step ahead, companies are striving to compete with their rivals, and as a result, the quality of animations has drastically improved across the board.
Animation is a creative technique that conveys intricate plots and emotions and captures people’s attention from all walks of life. With e-commerce brands increasingly relying on dynamic visuals to engage customers, animation has become one of the best communication mediums.
Animation: A Versatile Medium
For example, streaming platforms can be used for marketing purposes by streaming platforms to implement a wider net and appeal to a diverse audience.
Because of this flexibility, streaming platforms can use anime as a marketing tool to appeal to a broad base of viewers.
High-Quality Content
Top-tier animation companies have built a strong foundation in the industry by producing top-quality content and winning the attention of audiences around the globe.
Amazing and impressive animation has put studios like Pixar, Dream Works, and Ghibli on the map.
The beautifully crafted and animated storylines resonate with people of all ages, enabling them to enjoy high-quality animation.
The creativity seen in character design, detail attention, and richness in animation keeps audiences captivated in return more.
Pixar did not just transform the animation world with the “Toy Story” series; they also managed to capture the hearts of the audience with the detail in character development and storytelling.
Animation can explain whatever the mind of man can conceive.”
– Walt Disney
Global Appeal
Animation has universal appeal. What makes animated movies and shows widely loved by so many is that they easily cut across languages and cultures.
This global appeal is crucial for streaming services aiming to expand their subscriber base internationally.
Japan’s anime is one of the distinct styles of animation that is loved worldwide and adds to the success of Netflix and Crunchyroll.
Animated series like “Naruto,” “Castlevania,” and “Arcane,” and movies like “Spirited Away” prove how powerful animation is, as it never fails to attract and entertain people regardless of their nationality.
Such works not only appeal to audiences of different cultures but also create fandoms and conventions that promote the streaming services that house the shows.
Original Content Creation
In the streaming wars, original content is king.
Animation companies play a key role in creating exclusive content for streaming platforms.
By creating original shows and movies for the platform, they can stand out in the sea of competition and build a loyal audience—much like how animation services have evolved to meet the changing demands of the industry.
Shows like “Bojack Horseman” and “Castlevania” have proven to be huge successes as Netflix’s first animated original series, creating a dedicated fan base and positive reviews.
Disney+ has also leveraged its rich history of animation to create new, exclusive content.
The realization regarding the blending of animation and video games has advanced with the inception of The Mandalorian. The animated portions of the show are blended seamlessly with the rest of the content, which is filmed live.
The Clone Wars is a Disney Original, and like its other original products, it aims to capture more and more fans by adding to its catalog on Disney+, which is available to all ages.
Cost-Effective Production
Animation appears to be cheaper than live-action movies when it comes to setting, places, and adding special features into the movie.
This makes it simple and cost-effective for streaming businesses to make great shows and episodes without spending too much money.
Also, animation does not have to stop during the COVID-19 pandemic like other forms of media because shooting live does.
Animation’s flexibility in production schedules is another advantage.
Animators can do their duties from anywhere, and the voice recording can take place in soundproofed spaces, making meeting deadlines faster.
This consistency makes animation more riskless for streaming services looking to add new content constantly.
Technological Advancements
Advancements in animation technology have also fueled its rise in the streaming industry.
With advanced tools and software, animation can be very detailed and lifelike. This makes it easy to stand out from the competition and improves the overall quality of the animated content.
For example, the use of CGI (Computer-Generated Imagery) has transformed the animation industry.
The realism of the world of the show is unmatched and can only be achieved through modern and advanced tools that far surpass the traditional methods.
Movies like “Frozen” and “Moana” showcase the stunning possibilities of modern animation technology.
In addition, new developments in motion capture technology made it possible to complete the movements of characters and the details of the environments with a level of intricacy that would be impossibly expensive if attempted to be captured in live action footage.
This has proven to be especially advantageous for animated series and movies that are action intensive and require robust movements.
The Importance of Animation in Branding
Animation studios not only provide content to shelf services but also contribute significantly to the marketing and branding of the services.
As an illustration, the animated N logo sequence that opens and closes most of Netflix’s original programming has already been entrenched in consumer memory as part of the Netflix brand and is usually shown at the start of the animated series and movies produced by Netflix.
Iconic animated characters and series also become synonymous with the platforms that host them.
Brands of popular shows like Rick and Morty and the series Stranger Things merchandise range from fashion to figurines to action figures to puzzles and just about anything that can be branded.
These collectibles help keep the brand active and entice more people to watch the shows on the streaming services.
Dominate The Streaming World with the Best Animation Companies
The animation industry is, however, on a different side of the streaming wars, where they are the most sought-after brands because of their unparalleled ability to produce high-end, multi-cultured, appealing features.
These elements help streaming platforms lure and keep clients, making animation essential for entertainment in modern days.
If you are in the animation industry or want to get started in the world of content creation, Prolific Studios, one of the best animation studios in LA, can be your bet. We have an extensive portfolio and team at Prolific Studio. Contact us.
