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> FANG is delivering actionable data to advertisers in ways that traditional broadcasters simply can’t. The "N" in that weird acronym stands for Netflix. The d

> FANG is delivering actionable data to advertisers in ways that traditional broadcasters simply can’t. The "N" in that weird acronym stands for Netflix. The day they start selling my data to advertisers is the day I'm back to torrenting. I feel like the author is so ad-focused that she doesn't even see this: the whole article is about ads. Netflix is showing that you can make fantastic, super expensive content, even niche content, without advertising. To me that feels much more profound than "Youtube has more data about you than ABC so advertisers will prefer that".

hackuser 10y ago
Data about you is valuable. Netflix can sell it without displaying the ads itself. I'd be surprised if they aren't tracking users and monetizing that information, like seemingly every other business in the world. But maybe someone knows ...
- maxerickson 10y ago
  I thought Netflix had a whole bunch of product placement deals? There can be advertising without breaking out of the content.
  - philfrasty 10y ago
    Watched Sense8 (over here in Germany) for the last couple of days on NF. Every episode has a disclaimer at the beginning „This show contains product placements“. From first view: Ben & Jerrys, Pepsi (?), Sennheiser
- brendangregg 10y ago
  I can't provide an official response (I'm an engineer at Netflix), but I noticed to answer the question "How much data does Netflix sell to Third-Party Advertisers?", did have the response[1]: "Hey there, Cliff Edwards, director of corporate communications at Netflix. Wanted to point out that we don't sell ANY data to third-party advertisers. And we provide pretty good support for anyone who wants to learn about our tracking and how to opt out: https://www.netflix.com/cookies" https://www.netflix.com/cookies" That's in line with what I expect too. [1] https://www.reddit.com/r/netflix/comments/2uffl9/how_much_data_does_netflix_sell_to_thirdparty/ https://www.reddit.com/r/netflix/comments/2uffl9/how_much_da...
coldtea 10y ago
>The "N" in that weird acronym stands for Netflix. The day they start selling my data to advertisers is the day I'm back to torrenting. They might already be selling it for all we know ("privacy statement" aside). Also, it doesn't matter at all, if many other people don't also do the same move.
- brendangregg 10y ago
  But what if Netflix can be a role model for other companies? Doing the right thing, and being successful. Before I joined, I was a little cynical about big business and the shady moves you hear about to make a profit. It's been refreshing to join Netflix and find it to be an honest company with a simple business model: build a product that people want to buy.
  - coldtea 10y ago
    >But what if Netflix can be a role model for other companies? Doing the right thing, and being successful. Unless privately owned, or run by a very strong CEO with very specific opinions and total control over the board, that's just not what companies do. As soon as profit is to be made, they'll sell melamine as baby milk. So, not sure about how Netflix plays it, but there's another case I hand't covered: making enough money elsewhere to not be interested in such things.
    - brendangregg 10y ago
      > that's just not what companies do Spreading the belief that malicious practice is necessary for success and is inevitable, empowers that behavior. So please stop it, since (given examples like Netflix) it isn't true. :)
ufmace 10y ago
I think it makes sense in that Ads are the business model for broadcast TV, so any possibility of "TV Dying" in that the major broadcast networks go out of business or are forced to drastically scale back operations would be based on their real lifeblood, the advertisers, cutting back ad spending for TV.

hackuser 10y ago

Data about you is valuable. Netflix can sell it without displaying the ads itself. I'd be surprised if they aren't tracking users and monetizing that information, like seemingly every other business in the world. But maybe someone knows ...

maxerickson 10y ago
I thought Netflix had a whole bunch of product placement deals? There can be advertising without breaking out of the content.
- philfrasty 10y ago
  Watched Sense8 (over here in Germany) for the last couple of days on NF. Every episode has a disclaimer at the beginning „This show contains product placements“. From first view: Ben & Jerrys, Pepsi (?), Sennheiser
brendangregg 10y ago
I can't provide an official response (I'm an engineer at Netflix), but I noticed to answer the question "How much data does Netflix sell to Third-Party Advertisers?", did have the response[1]: "Hey there, Cliff Edwards, director of corporate communications at Netflix. Wanted to point out that we don't sell ANY data to third-party advertisers. And we provide pretty good support for anyone who wants to learn about our tracking and how to opt out: https://www.netflix.com/cookies" https://www.netflix.com/cookies" That's in line with what I expect too. [1] https://www.reddit.com/r/netflix/comments/2uffl9/how_much_data_does_netflix_sell_to_thirdparty/ https://www.reddit.com/r/netflix/comments/2uffl9/how_much_da...

coldtea 10y ago

>The "N" in that weird acronym stands for Netflix. The day they start selling my data to advertisers is the day I'm back to torrenting. They might already be selling it for all we know ("privacy statement" aside). Also, it doesn't matter at all, if many other people don't also do the same move.

brendangregg 10y ago
But what if Netflix can be a role model for other companies? Doing the right thing, and being successful. Before I joined, I was a little cynical about big business and the shady moves you hear about to make a profit. It's been refreshing to join Netflix and find it to be an honest company with a simple business model: build a product that people want to buy.
- coldtea 10y ago
  >But what if Netflix can be a role model for other companies? Doing the right thing, and being successful. Unless privately owned, or run by a very strong CEO with very specific opinions and total control over the board, that's just not what companies do. As soon as profit is to be made, they'll sell melamine as baby milk. So, not sure about how Netflix plays it, but there's another case I hand't covered: making enough money elsewhere to not be interested in such things.
  - brendangregg 10y ago
    > that's just not what companies do Spreading the belief that malicious practice is necessary for success and is inevitable, empowers that behavior. So please stop it, since (given examples like Netflix) it isn't true. :)

ufmace 10y ago

I think it makes sense in that Ads are the business model for broadcast TV, so any possibility of "TV Dying" in that the major broadcast networks go out of business or are forced to drastically scale back operations would be based on their real lifeblood, the advertisers, cutting back ad spending for TV.