Quote:
Originally Posted by OLD BOY
There we go, the prophet of doom declares that Netflix, the streamer that has single handedly transformed the TV landscape for the better, will soon be in its death throes!
Netflix is well placed to dominate for some time yet and the huge debts it has accrued are all part of its operating model. The reason why it's investing so much in its Originals is to ensure that Netflix still has a huge library of content to offer its subscribers. If the non-Originals were to disappear overnight, it would not make a scrap of difference to my viewing and I'm sure that many, like me, take Netflix purely for those Originals.
As for other competing streamers, yes, more will come on the scene over a relatively short timescale, but it is the pay tv channels that will suffer, not Netflix. It is true that people have only so much money to play with, but given the choice of cheap, bountiful content on the streamers, and expensive pay tv channels that incorporate hours of dross between one or two gems, what choices do you expect the public to make?
|
Plenty of companies have transformed landscapes then ceased to exist/got taken over once the rest of the market has caught up with them.
It's a ridiculous notion to say that 'only' pay-tv channels (by this I presume you mean Comcast owned Sky, Liberty Global owned Virgin Media and others) will suffer and Netflix thrive with the increased competition in the market. The market for those willing to spend £8 a month for additional content has a finite size.
The public continue to make their choice month in, month out with direct debits worth hundreds of millions each month heading to Sky, Virgin Media and BT and I don't see any reason why people won't continue to do so. There's plenty of quality on demand content on those platforms too, for anyone with an irrational fear of linear television channels. There's also premium sport content, which given the prices paid appear to be the most popular/profitable content for platforms. No streamer has demonstrated a business model for this and every time I bring it up you just tell me
that's different!