Slashdot Mirror
Slashdot Asks: What's Next For Netflix? (500ish.com)
What does the future hold for Netflix? The company first earned a name for itself over a decade ago renting DVDs via mails in an era when Blockbuster used to laugh at the mere idea of DVDs-by-mail. It then moved to offering online streaming service way before most of the companies. As VC and former journalist MG Siegler writes, Netflix was always ahead of the curve. But the market -- and the demand from the market is changing, again. To address that, the on-demand streaming service has over the past three-four years started to invest heavily in getting exclusive rights for movies and TV shows, as well as make its own original content. But this time, Netflix is facing immense competition from its rivals -- and its moves aren't that unpredictable. It's also worth pointing out just recently, the company's decision to hike prices led its stocks to tank. Siegler writes: The streaming content game is now hyper competitive. And even the streaming original content game has gotten extremely competitive. And this means it has gotten extremely expensive. The result has been great for us, the users, as we do seem to be in a golden age of television-like content, even if it's being delivered via streaming "channels" like Netflix. With 54 Emmy nominations this year, second to only HBO, Netflix is seemingly closing in on what they set out to do once again. They've become HBO faster than HBO has been able to become Netflix. Of course, HBO still has the warm blanket of cable operator fees to keep them cozy; Netflix's model has them a bit out in the cold in that regard. So, again, what's next? Is it VR? Something else? Don't tell me it's 4k. Worldwide expansion is huge, but that's really just growing into the last business. What's the next business pivot?What you, Slashdot readers, think Netflix's next move will be? Or do you think the company will soon become just another name in its respective category?
Asking readers what a company that they have no part in managing is simply asking for opinions, or desires. I suggest that if Slashdot really wants to know the answer that someone be assigned to visit Netflix and ask around to find out what rumors the employees have heard. This information will likely be the most correct.
If by what they want you mean B-movies (and lower) that you've never heard of sprinkled with a few mainstream movies. The TV show collection as well as original content series continues to get better, but their movie list is just awful any more.
I know it's mostly not Netflix fault their movie selection is crap. But honestly I'd probably pay twice as much if I had a real selection of movies where I had a reasonably good chance that the movie I wanted to see was included.
The article briefly mentions original content like it was their last smart move and they'll have to do something else to survive. I would disagree with that assessment.
The media cartels (MPAA etc) are trying to starve out Netflix by jacking up their licensing fees, onerous international distribution agreements, etc etc.
The Netflix back catalog of old movies has actually been shrinking. The focus on original content is to bring control to their programming so that they aren't 100% at the mercy of the cartels who want nothing more than for Netflix to die. The goal of the cartels is that Hulu or some other godforsaken corp-owned property can retain their dominance of the public eyeball.
That's why Netflix has gone all in on their original programming. I just finished watching Stranger Things and it is really good. Because Netflix developed it themselves, they don't have to negotiate an international distribution agreement and they can release it simultaneously in all the markets they offer subscriptions. That's huge. I watched past the credits and there were translation teams for about 8 languages - I think I saw French, Spanish, Japanese, German among them.
So I think their play is what they are already doing - pour money into original programming, build their own back catalog so they aren't at the mercy of greedy content providers, and keep providing great customer service.
They do that, they lose all of their non-original content.
The media conglomerates have Netflix over a barrel. Netflix can't do anything without their approval.
End of line..
Netflix needs to find a way to expand their streaming service.
While I keep seeing articles titled "Why does anyone use Netflix's DVD service?" I have a DVD queue that is 324 DVDs long. Their streaming catalog is a tiny fraction of what they have on DVD, and almost nothing I want is streamable. No new releases are streamable. Hardly any Disney or Dreamworks is streamable. Seems like most "blockbusters" aren't streamable. Neither is most of the 90's sci-fi I want to catch-up on. They need to pressure hollywood while they are still the 500-lb gorilla of the market.