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2015 has seen huge growth for TV streaming services like Amazon, Hulu and Netflix. In recent days, there’s been some buzz behind the competition between the platforms, especially those last two. Hulu’s library got a major upgrade with the addition of those big budget Epix movies, and Netflix reported the influx of 3.3-million new subscribers over this last quarter. Hell, Amazon leveled up their own Instant Video profile with the Emmy recognition Transparent received over the weekend.
What does this all mean? If anything, these are a few more blows to the dated — and costly — platform that is cable television as we currently know it and the cord cutting trend is only going to increase. Netflix Chairman and CEO Reed Hastings sat down with Jim Cramer at CNBC and predicted how TV will be completely internet based within the next two decades. Speaking as someone who accesses this sort of entertainment solely through mobile apps and streaming services, it sounds like his prediction holds weight.
Adding to Hastings comments, Cramer pointed out that just 13 years ago, “Netflix traded at just 85 cents a share.” This past Friday, it closed at $102 a share. Hastings pointed towards the success of original programming like Orange is the New Black, House of Cards and Daredevil as the reason for the phenomenal growth rate they’ve achieved:
“It’s really the Internet. The Internet is transforming so many sectors of our economy, and we are Internet TV; and that sector has grown from very small 15 years ago to starting to be significant now.”
To maintain their significance in this expanding playing field, Hastings said their focus continues to be analytics based. “We are just a learning machine. Every time we put out a new show, we are analyzing it, figuring out what worked and what didn’t so we get better next time,” Hastings said.
The big ingredient holding most back from transferring completely from the cable model, is the exclusive sports content available on networks like ESPN and Fox Sports. Hastings believes networks such as these will “ultimately adopt an on-demand model” which would grant consumers the ability to watch any game on any device in the future. If the increasing popularity of internet streaming tells us anything, it’s that it is only a matter of time before this transition happens.
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Wouldn’t surprise me if it was 10 years… He just has to convince internet providers to stop choking speeds.
Word
Yup. 20 years is definitely a very conservative estimate.
As for sports…doesn’t MLB.com offer games for paying suscribers? I know the NHL is basically copying their formula. And WWE.com seems a fairly nice sucess.
Well this was an issue with CBS for a while but I believe they will now allow sports games on their streaming service. So…it’s already happening.
MLB TV (and similar networks from other leagues) only allows subscribers to watch out-of-market games. MLB needs cable because the cable deals are worth millions (billions in some cases) of dollars to the individual teams. Sure, you can work around it to an extent via VPN, but that’s not something the casual fan is going to do.
And that out-of-market restriction can really screw some people over. Iowa is considered to be a market for 6 different teams so good luck finding a game to watch if you live there and subscribe.
Pro leagues are covered. College…not so much. But the issue is that an a la carte package of all pro leagues (even without college) will cost you more than your current cable package. That’s where streaming fails; die hard sports fan. until that is solved, cable will still be around.
Hastings said their focus continues to be analytics based. “We are just a learning machine. Every time we put out a new show, we are analyzing it, figuring out what worked and what didn’t so we get better next time,” Hastings said.
This has me a little worried, as far as quality content goes. If people hate the old broadcast networks for their broad, appeal-to-as-many-people-as-possible approach, this sounds a lot like Netflix looking to do the same thing. (And, sadly, from a strictly business/financial standpoint, that approach to content makes the most sense; there’s a reason CBS can pay the actors from Big Bang Theory so well).
i don’t mean to sound cynical, but ALL television ALREADY is on the internet
Then tell me why Fox wasn’t live-streaming the Emmys and why I cannot get Anthony Bourdain’s new episodes on that janky CNN app! TELL ME!
Netflix sucks!! Period no idea why this is even being brought up, and it sucks in many ways and i will provide you with a few reasons! It is a huhe set back i needed to wait 6 or 7 years to watch a movie i saw online 6 years ago from a *FREE* website, then it becomes an argument whether Bill Cosby should be on Netflix or not?!? Just goes to show you how much i care about it, i actually even have it when their is nothing else to watch in the entire WORLD OF MOVIES!! I will or might put on oOoOoOoOoO lets say a good *OLD* Rambo movie!! LMAO WAAAIT!!! Their is more WTF is Up With All The Chinese Or Cantonese Yeah can i get a side order of pork fried rice and some knowledge on oh why don’t you go learn languages it be fun… you see big scary man ((puny little boy)) with Chinese letters *that is not even Chinese* you can now know what it saaayay!! Ha like seriously Netflix will wait to see if bill cosby wins in court to play his shows!! Who the hell watches any of that garbage they act like they have all these huge movie and t.v series motion pictures when their just made in China which i am pretty sure no i do not have poof who needs it y can watch for yourself, when you try to see a movie and it has nothing to do with English, not even able to watch with captions it is so corrupt they try to make it stand out by supposedly not supporting rape!! Give me a fucking break why not donate or contribute to your company instead of raping people for their money!! Oh but wait i bet you they all have MAC PC’S And I Phones!!! I am talking about the people who work their inside joke!! Which is true btw,,,,They Suck!! I would pay to have Netflix uninstalled from my T.V set who are these clowns and looser’s this past decade that are sneaking their way in to many different places it is ruining everything and bad enough as it was starting to get i would rather it be like bad then this!!! Shit lie this makes me want to break my t.v not watch it
AAAhhhhhh…!! Just waking up and i will try to spend more then 2-3 hours online today since i am stuck home!! Excuse my fuck ups for now on my typing…
dude go jerk off to some internet porn or something and then come back and try again
ain’t nobody got time for your huge-ass wall of text down here.
What….the hell.