Quote:
Originally Posted by Sr. Mints
I think this news, today, is less about Netflix's global plans, and more about content owners flexing their muscles over Netflix's casual attitude towards regional licensing in the past.
Sure, Netflix would like a global catalogue one day, but that's just the positive spin at this point.
But I wonder what tipped the scales? Netflix surely doesn't care who's watching what, from where: the ability to jump regions adds tremendous value to their product from a consumer standpoint.
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I would guess that pressure from competing online services and by extension the companies who distribute worldwide would care.
For example, Universal (making this up) distributes show X in the US and sells it to Netflix. In Canada Sony owns the rights and sells it to Crave.
Customer is only paying for Netflix because they can watch show X in Canada thru US Netflix. Sony realizes they are missing out on revenue they'd get from Crave based on a fee per view agreement they have with Crave. And they aren't getting any views because no one is using their service because all of their "exclusives" are available elsewhere without paying for 3 or 4 different subscriptions. Sony and Telus put pressure on Netflix to straighten out their policies.
Now for all I know the distribution companies don't care because they sell based on a lump sum up front fee, but then that would just mean that it is probably Telus (Crave) giving Netflix a hard time, and perhaps complaining to the CRTC or whoever else they could get involved. Could be dealing with worldwide trade agreements here.
As a consumer this sucks. We always get screwed. BOHICA. First it was just expensive cable. Then expensive cable and expensive internet. Then cable, internet and Netflix.
Coming soon: Expensive cable, internet, Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, Crave, Shomi, Google, Apple!! All just so that you can watch a couple of your favorite shows on each service for $8 a month.
Remember when we were all happy that the cable model was crumbling? Well instead of being able to watch all of our shows through one exorbitantly priced service, we now get to pay for all of our favorite shows through exorbitantly priced internet and a bunch of low(ish) cost unique services that have carved up all the programming. Oh and a bunch of us still pay for cable because sports.
