House of Cards pitched HBO too. HBO could have had the show if they wanted it. Mike Judge and Kevin Spacey want to get paid to create the stories that they want

House of Cards pitched HBO too. HBO could have had the show if they wanted it. Mike Judge and Kevin Spacey want to get paid to create the stories that they want to tell. They could care less about the business model and will move to new models when/if it makes sense. It's not their job to change how media is consumed. It's their job to make a great show. Louis doesn't release his show DRM free. He partnered with a network. For his standup special it made sense to release it through his website so he did. The creators have enough on their plate just to make something good. They are going to go where the money is now.