5 ms·

Almost seems like Netflix knew what they were doing when they started funding a bunch of original content. I remember when people thought they were being silly.

glenstein 9y ago
Exactly. Imagine where Netflix would be without it's original content at this point. Initially, I thought it was just a kind of frustration. For the cost to acquire rights to shows, you could just create your own original content that you own outright, and they did just that. But now I see that even if the cost of acquiring other series were dirt cheap, the negotiating posture of companies offering the content to Netflix could change at any moment.
- ghostbrainalpha 9y ago
  But didn't Netflix make the worst move possible? They developed a heap of MARVEL original content, that Netflix funded, which now Disney is able to pull from them.
  - papercrane 9y ago
    I would hope that Netflix negotiated a licensing agreement that prevented Disney from just pulling their rights to the shows they funded.
    - WorldMaker 9y ago
      Current reports are that Netflix's contract rights to the Marvel original shows is set to expire in 2019, just in time for Disney's still unnamed service to launch. (…and possibly one of the reasons it isn't launching until 2019.)
bolasanibk 9y ago
"The goal is to become HBO faster than HBO can become us." - 2013, Ted Sarandos, Chief Content Officer, Netflix https://gizmodo.com/5980103/netflix-the-goal-is-to-become-hbo-faster-than-hbo-can-become-us https://gizmodo.com/5980103/netflix-the-goal-is-to-become-hb... Edit: He just got the company wrong.
- pchristensen 9y ago
  Kind of like how Google made Android free to head off Microsoft, not realizing that Apple would be their mobile competition.
  - aikinai 9y ago
    Google did make Android free to head off Microsoft, but it was already very clear Apple was the primary competition. They were trying to take Microsoft’s place in the new Duopoly.
    - mulletbum 9y ago
      From my understanding Android's launch was delayed because they didn't know how amazing the first iPhone was before its release. That seems to me they were taking it seriously as they were competing with Blackberry at the time if I am correct.
      - tabs_masterrace 9y ago
        The big 3 were BlackBerry, Windows Mobile & Symbian (Nokia) Android was built a lot like a BlackBerry/Window Mobile competitor in its early stages. Nobody knew Apple was making a phone, there were heavy rumors of course, but people weren't expecting the impact it would have. Google obviously had to know something about it, as they provided maps apis for the first iPhone. But Apple probably kept as much secret as they could. But none of them were really prepared for iOS's leap in touchscreen UIs. Android was the fastest to adopt, took about 2-3 years still though. BlackBerry & Windows Mobile waited to late for a reboot and Symbian just died silently.
        berbec 9y ago
        Ah Symbian! I fondly remember my E62, the first mobile device I had with a real OS.
        danielbln 9y ago

glenstein 9y ago

Exactly. Imagine where Netflix would be without it's original content at this point. Initially, I thought it was just a kind of frustration. For the cost to acquire rights to shows, you could just create your own original content that you own outright, and they did just that. But now I see that even if the cost of acquiring other series were dirt cheap, the negotiating posture of companies offering the content to Netflix could change at any moment.

ghostbrainalpha 9y ago
But didn't Netflix make the worst move possible? They developed a heap of MARVEL original content, that Netflix funded, which now Disney is able to pull from them.
- papercrane 9y ago
  I would hope that Netflix negotiated a licensing agreement that prevented Disney from just pulling their rights to the shows they funded.
  - WorldMaker 9y ago
    Current reports are that Netflix's contract rights to the Marvel original shows is set to expire in 2019, just in time for Disney's still unnamed service to launch. (…and possibly one of the reasons it isn't launching until 2019.)

bolasanibk 9y ago

"The goal is to become HBO faster than HBO can become us." - 2013, Ted Sarandos, Chief Content Officer, Netflix https://gizmodo.com/5980103/netflix-the-goal-is-to-become-hbo-faster-than-hbo-can-become-us https://gizmodo.com/5980103/netflix-the-goal-is-to-become-hb... Edit: He just got the company wrong.

pchristensen 9y ago
Kind of like how Google made Android free to head off Microsoft, not realizing that Apple would be their mobile competition.
- aikinai 9y ago
  Google did make Android free to head off Microsoft, but it was already very clear Apple was the primary competition. They were trying to take Microsoft’s place in the new Duopoly.
  - mulletbum 9y ago
    From my understanding Android's launch was delayed because they didn't know how amazing the first iPhone was before its release. That seems to me they were taking it seriously as they were competing with Blackberry at the time if I am correct.
    - tabs_masterrace 9y ago
      The big 3 were BlackBerry, Windows Mobile & Symbian (Nokia) Android was built a lot like a BlackBerry/Window Mobile competitor in its early stages. Nobody knew Apple was making a phone, there were heavy rumors of course, but people weren't expecting the impact it would have. Google obviously had to know something about it, as they provided maps apis for the first iPhone. But Apple probably kept as much secret as they could. But none of them were really prepared for iOS's leap in touchscreen UIs. Android was the fastest to adopt, took about 2-3 years still though. BlackBerry & Windows Mobile waited to late for a reboot and Symbian just died silently.
      - berbec 9y ago
        Ah Symbian! I fondly remember my E62, the first mobile device I had with a real OS.
      - danielbln 9y ago