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I wonder why Netflix don’t want their content to be searchable in Apple’s TV app: > “Since TV App is not going to happen right now, there’s nothing else to get

by jw1224 5y ago

I wonder why Netflix don’t want their content to be searchable in Apple’s TV app: > “Since TV App is not going to happen right now, there’s nothing else to get from Netflix at this time” The TV App is actually pretty great — one of the few parts of the Apple ecosystem where the garden walls are very low. I can search for a TV show or film, and even when the iTunes Store has it available, TV still suggests I watch it for free (effectively) on Amazon Prime, or any other streaming services I have set up. It’s a little surprising Apple seem happy to forego the revenue themselves — but great for users like me. For whatever reason, Netflix is the only major streaming provider who don’t integrate with the TV App — which is a shame.

i_like_apis 5y ago
With the flood of medium quality content coming from Netflix in the past few years I'm almost happy with it not showing up.
drexlspivey 5y ago
Netflix doesn’t want their content to show up in apple TV search because they don’t want to give access to their user’s data to Apple. It’s a terrible anti-consumer decision and frankly it was one of the last straws that led me back to piracy after many years. All I wanted was a universal search for content instead of having to go into each provider’s app. I am now using Plex/Sonarr/Radarr and it works flawlessly, a much better ecosystem with open APIs and tons of integrations with tvdb/discord/trakt/opensubtitles etc. Netflix had a good thing going on for a while but they managed to screw it up.
- tornato7 5y ago
  I think it's more than that - if users are finding shows through the Apple TV search then Apple is able to promote their own shows and services in that search functionality. Netflix wants people to use their app so they can push their own content and features. Similar to why Amazon doesn't like it when you Google for products and end up at Amazon, they would rather you just visit amazon.com and search from there so they can show you ads.
  - callalex 5y ago
    The argument is more nuanced than that. For example if I tell my TV “Hey Siri, play Top Gear” it will show me an Amazon logo for a few seconds while the app starts and then the video plays. At no point in that interaction did Apple attempt or even have a chance to say “are you sure you don’t want to watch {other-car-show}”. This decision by Netflix is hurting consumers.
- FireBeyond 5y ago
  Apple, refusing to share their user data with others: "Great. Pro privacy. Pro user." Netflix, refusing to share their user data with Apple: "Terrible. Anti-consumer. Last straw."
  - 8ytecoder 5y ago
    It’s not sharing. It’s just making it searchable - aka the catalog and link back. The second feature is the ability to continue/resume from the Home Screen. That requires sharing playback information. However, there’s no indication that Apple mines this information. On the other hand, it’s extremely useful to me as a user. This is the primary reason I don’t use Netflix much these days and I have a premium subscription. It’s so easy for me to reach to HBO Max or Hulu than Netflix.
- askvictor 5y ago
  I'm not quite sure this is the case, given that Netflix seems happy to share that data with Google on AndroidTV/GoogleTV devices. The thing that's lead me back to piracy is not Netflix itself, but the proliferation of streaming providers, with their exclusives. Let me pay for the show I want, easily, and I'll pay for it. Make me jump through hoops and subscribe to services I don't want, well, it's just as easy to torrent it. Netflix didn't screw this up; it was every studio wanting to lock viewers into their own service.
tsuujin 5y ago
Since picking up an Apple TV, my Netflix consumption is down to zero. Everything else is right there in the main UI, and it provides zero incentive for me to open their app. At least from my perspective, Netflix really dropped the ball on this decision.
- caf 5y ago
  I believe this is helping illustrate why Netflix made this decision. Sure, right now they'll lose a few people like you who cbf switching apps to see what's on Netflix - but they're banking that there's a lot more who will resign themselves to switching apps for the show they want, because they're used to finding their Netflix shows in the Netflix app anyway. Whereas if they join TV App, they'll be training their users to find their content in TV App - which gives Apple a lot of leverage. Now a threat to kick them out of TV App has teeth - because there will be a lot more users like you, who've grown accustomed to finding their Netflix shows in TV App, and won't know to go switching apps to find it. They don't want to hand Apple a club to beat them with.
madrox 5y ago
I led engineering for a product in a similar position. Short answer is that it's about who owns the consumer. When you relinquish control of the browse experience, you lose the ability to control where your users go. For example, say Netflix allowed access and their customers got used to going to the TV app instead of the Netflix app, then Apple over time decides to feature Netflix content less and less over their own offerings or deprioritizing Netflix content in search results. They could slowly bleed Netflix's customers away. They'd also have detailed data on what Netflix content users watched. In general, I'm with Netflix on this one considering how many businesses Apple has screwed over throughout the years when they choose to compete directly.

by jw1224 5y ago

i_like_apis 5y ago

With the flood of medium quality content coming from Netflix in the past few years I'm almost happy with it not showing up.

drexlspivey 5y ago

Netflix doesn’t want their content to show up in apple TV search because they don’t want to give access to their user’s data to Apple. It’s a terrible anti-consumer decision and frankly it was one of the last straws that led me back to piracy after many years. All I wanted was a universal search for content instead of having to go into each provider’s app. I am now using Plex/Sonarr/Radarr and it works flawlessly, a much better ecosystem with open APIs and tons of integrations with tvdb/discord/trakt/opensubtitles etc. Netflix had a good thing going on for a while but they managed to screw it up.

tornato7 5y ago
I think it's more than that - if users are finding shows through the Apple TV search then Apple is able to promote their own shows and services in that search functionality. Netflix wants people to use their app so they can push their own content and features. Similar to why Amazon doesn't like it when you Google for products and end up at Amazon, they would rather you just visit amazon.com and search from there so they can show you ads.
- callalex 5y ago
  The argument is more nuanced than that. For example if I tell my TV “Hey Siri, play Top Gear” it will show me an Amazon logo for a few seconds while the app starts and then the video plays. At no point in that interaction did Apple attempt or even have a chance to say “are you sure you don’t want to watch {other-car-show}”. This decision by Netflix is hurting consumers.
FireBeyond 5y ago
Apple, refusing to share their user data with others: "Great. Pro privacy. Pro user." Netflix, refusing to share their user data with Apple: "Terrible. Anti-consumer. Last straw."
- 8ytecoder 5y ago
  It’s not sharing. It’s just making it searchable - aka the catalog and link back. The second feature is the ability to continue/resume from the Home Screen. That requires sharing playback information. However, there’s no indication that Apple mines this information. On the other hand, it’s extremely useful to me as a user. This is the primary reason I don’t use Netflix much these days and I have a premium subscription. It’s so easy for me to reach to HBO Max or Hulu than Netflix.
askvictor 5y ago
I'm not quite sure this is the case, given that Netflix seems happy to share that data with Google on AndroidTV/GoogleTV devices. The thing that's lead me back to piracy is not Netflix itself, but the proliferation of streaming providers, with their exclusives. Let me pay for the show I want, easily, and I'll pay for it. Make me jump through hoops and subscribe to services I don't want, well, it's just as easy to torrent it. Netflix didn't screw this up; it was every studio wanting to lock viewers into their own service.

tsuujin 5y ago

Since picking up an Apple TV, my Netflix consumption is down to zero. Everything else is right there in the main UI, and it provides zero incentive for me to open their app. At least from my perspective, Netflix really dropped the ball on this decision.

caf 5y ago
I believe this is helping illustrate why Netflix made this decision. Sure, right now they'll lose a few people like you who cbf switching apps to see what's on Netflix - but they're banking that there's a lot more who will resign themselves to switching apps for the show they want, because they're used to finding their Netflix shows in the Netflix app anyway. Whereas if they join TV App, they'll be training their users to find their content in TV App - which gives Apple a lot of leverage. Now a threat to kick them out of TV App has teeth - because there will be a lot more users like you, who've grown accustomed to finding their Netflix shows in TV App, and won't know to go switching apps to find it. They don't want to hand Apple a club to beat them with.

madrox 5y ago

I led engineering for a product in a similar position. Short answer is that it's about who owns the consumer. When you relinquish control of the browse experience, you lose the ability to control where your users go. For example, say Netflix allowed access and their customers got used to going to the TV app instead of the Netflix app, then Apple over time decides to feature Netflix content less and less over their own offerings or deprioritizing Netflix content in search results. They could slowly bleed Netflix's customers away. They'd also have detailed data on what Netflix content users watched. In general, I'm with Netflix on this one considering how many businesses Apple has screwed over throughout the years when they choose to compete directly.