Platform power rankings: breadth, depth and the transactional-vs-subscription divide
Apple iTunes leads the PlatformTrack index with 793,452 title-availability records, more than 1.6 times its nearest rival, but its vast catalogue is almost entirely movies, revealing a fundamental split between transactional and subscription models.
Abstract. The PlatformTrack index, which aggregates title-availability records across 57 markets, reveals a stark hierarchy: transactional stores like Apple iTunes and Google Play dominate on raw breadth, while subscription services such as Netflix, Disney+, and Max offer more curated, series-heavy catalogues. The data also exposes a deep movies-vs-series divide, with Netflix, Max, and Crunchyroll bucking the movie-centric norm.
The headline ranking: transactional stores dominate breadth
Apple iTunes leads the PlatformTrack index with 793,452 title-availability records across 57 markets, comprising 759,572 movies and just 33,880 series. Google Play Movies follows with 475,557 records (97% movies), narrowly ahead of Netflix at 475,532 records — but Netflix’s composition is fundamentally different: 177,458 series (37% of its catalogue) make it the series leader. Tubi, the ad-supported service, ranks fourth with 192,332 records.
| Platform | Markets | Records | Movies | Series | Exclusives | Excl. % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apple iTunes | 57 | 793,452 | 759,572 | 33,880 | 697 | 0.1% |
| Google Play Movies | 57 | 475,557 | 462,503 | 13,054 | 838 | 0.2% |
| Netflix | 57 | 475,532 | 298,074 | 177,458 | 1,717 | 0.4% |
| Tubi | 57 | 192,332 | 174,066 | 18,266 | 210 | 0.1% |
| Disney+ | 57 | 107,575 | 73,630 | 33,945 | 1,054 | 1.0% |
| Amazon Prime Video | 57 | 88,107 | 71,884 | 16,223 | 111 | 0.1% |
| Max (HBO) | 57 | 77,051 | 39,226 | 37,825 | 811 | 1.1% |
| Crunchyroll | 57 | 69,529 | 4,153 | 65,376 | 2,078 | 3.0% |
| MUBI | 57 | 26,353 | 26,279 | 74 | 2,269 | 8.6% |
| Apple TV+ | 57 | 14,275 | 4,665 | 9,610 | 1,783 | 12.5% |
| Paramount+ | 57 | 10,261 | 6,048 | 4,213 | 408 | 4.0% |
Top platforms by availability records across PlatformTrack’s 57 tracked markets, most recent weekly sync. Smaller catalogues (Shahid VIP, NOW, YouTube Premium, STARZPLAY, Fubo TV) trail below 17,000 records each.
Among subscription services, Netflix leads on breadth, followed by Disney+ (107,575 records) and Prime Video (88,107). Max (77,051 records) is notably series-heavy, with 37,825 series (49% of its catalogue). Crunchyroll is an outlier: 69,529 records but 65,376 are series — a clear anime specialist. Per-market averages further illustrate the scale: iTunes averages ~13,920 records per market, Netflix ~8,343, Disney+ ~1,887, and Apple TV+ just ~250.
Why transactional stores top the chart
The two transactional stores — Apple iTunes and Google Play Movies — dominate the top of the ranking because they list every rentable or buyable movie, not a curated subscription library. iTunes alone accounts for 793,452 records, more than the next two services combined. Google Play adds another 475,557, almost entirely movies. Their catalogues are driven by transactional availability: any title that can be purchased or rented in a market is counted, leading to enormous breadth. In contrast, subscription services like Netflix and Disney+ offer only a fraction of the total film library, carefully selected for their subscribers.
The movies-vs-series split: Netflix, Max and Crunchyroll stand apart
The data reveals a sharp divide in catalogue composition. Apple iTunes is 96% movies; Google Play is 97% movies. Among subscription services, Disney+ is 79% movies, Prime Video 73% movies, and Apple TV+ 71% movies. But Netflix, Max, and Crunchyroll invert this pattern. Netflix leads the series count with 177,458 series (37% of its total), Max has 37,825 series (49%), and Crunchyroll is overwhelmingly series-focused: 65,376 out of 69,529 records (94%). This split reflects strategic focus: Netflix invests heavily in original series, Max leverages HBO’s series heritage, and Crunchyroll is a specialist anime platform where series dominate. The transactional stores, by contrast, are movie warehouses.
Key takeaways
- Apple iTunes leads the PlatformTrack index with 793,452 records, more than 1.6 times the next service, but its catalogue is 96% movies.
- Netflix and Google Play are nearly tied for second (475,532 vs 475,557 records), but Netflix is the series leader with 177,458 series (37% of its catalogue).
- Crunchyroll is an extreme outlier: 94% of its 69,529 records are series, reflecting its anime-specialist model.
Method: figures are drawn from the PlatformTrack index, refreshed weekly from TMDB availability data across 17 platforms and 57 markets. Counts are availability records, not unique global titles. See the methodology.