As an interesting follow-up to Jane's love letter to Netflix two weeks ago -- and I'm right there with her -- you might enjoy reading another recent and related article from The Hollywood Reporter. Paul Bond's "What Hollywood Execs Privately Say About Netflix" examines the Netflix surge via opinions from those behind the scenes at studios and cable nets. They're the ones either hating Netflix for allegedly stealing viewers, or making money from making deals with Netflix to allow the service to carry their material, or mostly probably hating Netflix for figuring out that what people want most is easy access to streaming content.
The way I see it, the Netflix suppliers should be thrilled that another way for them to make more money from the same ol' content has showed up. Just as cable TV networks jumped in to pay big bucks for programming when local independent broadcast stations were no longer snapping up syndicated series and movie packages for their line-ups, now Netflix is out licensing library product and paying what sounds like good money for those rights.
Just follow the money on this one. Pay the suppliers enough and they'll be Netflix' biggest fans. It's so weird though that this comes down to another monopoly springing up -- Hulu has its good points, but if the same shows were on Netflix I'd rather watch them there. Hulu isn't as neat an experience.
Here's what TV fans want: Everything ever made, at our fingertips, to watch when we want, without interruption, at a reasonable price. Is that really so much to ask? I don't think so. I just hope I live long enough to see it happen!
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