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Netflix Flexes

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Re: Netflix Flexes

#41

Post by FreeKill »

2bitencryption wrote: post #25

My takeaway from Bird Box is that if Netflix wants to make any of their original content one of the most-watched media events of the year, they can do it, regardless of the quality of the content itself. All it takes is for them to slip it in to people's "custom, curated" lists at a higher frequency, and maybe do a little subtle social-media engineering on Reddit/Facebook, and bam: instant box office smash of a deriv…

What I also find interesting is the fact that Netflix doesn't necessarily even need the "flex" to succeed. Their push on bird box could have failed miserably, and they really wouldn't have suffered greatly, whereas Disney's push of A Wrinkle in Time probably hurt, since the movie ultimately flopped and their only chance to recoup costs was after the huge investment.

Netflix's goal is quite distinct from much of its competition. In simplistic terms, their goal is to release enough compelling content to keep existing subscribers subscribed and then hopefully entice new users to sign up more than old users quit. These "flexes" I would assume are primarily for the second category. If you make something enough of an event, with subscribers talking about it all the time, maybe non-subscribers will think they are missing out and take the plunge. If that fails, however, they only really lose out on the marketing costs, since it's very unlikely to affect the existing subscriber base at all.

Re: Netflix Flexes

#42

Post by ladzoppelin »

general8bitso wrote: post #9

I have been a Netflix subscriber for over 5 years now, but seldom use it anymore. Most streaming is via Hulu (commercial free) or Prime in our house nowadays. I don’t have children, but I could see how having the Disney catalog would be enticing to parents of young children. Also, strange the article did not mention Fortnight, by name, as a competitor.

So I like prime a lot as they have higher quality "Amazon creations" but I think Hulu sucks. The content is not that good and the good stuff is usually incomplete. Hulu I guess is good if you stream reality TV. Not for me.

Re: Netflix Flexes

#43

Post by namdnay »

adwf wrote: post #24
general8bitso wrote: post #9

I have been a Netflix subscriber for over 5 years now, but seldom use it anymore. Most streaming is via Hulu (commercial free) or Prime in our house nowadays. I don’t have children, but I could see how having the Disney catalog would be enticing to parents of young children. Also, strange the article did not mention Fortnight, by name, as a competitor.

I honestly don't think a Disney streaming platform should scare Netflix that much. You can get the entire classic Disney DVD back catalogue for ~£200, why would parents buy a streaming service for £10-20/month for years on end? And that's the whole classic catalogue - when you bear in mind that kids will happily watch the same old Frozen DVD over and over again, I don't see it as a huge compelling offering. Even addi…

There are a lot of Disney series, and all the girls in primary school have heard of them. Disney are strong on this segment

Re: Netflix Flexes

#44

Post by pbhjpbhj »

ballenf wrote: post #7
iambateman wrote: post #2

I’ve said this before, but I expect Netflix to continue to flex their muscle until they have an average subscription cost of $35-40/month. There’s so much room in the entertainment market for them to save customers $50/mo, offer them more, and increase their revenue.

For me Netflix isn’t competing against cable (its been 15 years since I subscribed) but against YouTube and small mobile games that I can play a few minutes here and there. In that light they are already a little too expensive for the value to me for a yearlong subscription. Instead I’ll subscribe for a few months and then cancel when I realize I’ve been paying without watching anything for weeks.

There was a story on HN a week or so ago about Netflix's main competitor being Fortnite.

Re: Netflix Flexes

#45

Post by assblaster »

dvfjsdhgfv wrote: post #34
2bitencryption wrote: post #25

My takeaway from Bird Box is that if Netflix wants to make any of their original content one of the most-watched media events of the year, they can do it, regardless of the quality of the content itself. All it takes is for them to slip it in to people's "custom, curated" lists at a higher frequency, and maybe do a little subtle social-media engineering on Reddit/Facebook, and bam: instant box office smash of a deriv…

I wonder when people start noticing. For me their content is just mediocre. When you think about it, creating a real masterpiece is very hard and requires a combination of talent, taste, luck, investment and so on. It doesn't happen just by pushing something as "recommended".

Here's the secret to Netflix:

A "masterpiece" is in the eye of the beholder.

A masterpiece to some is not to another.

Roma is one example: it clearly is masterfully done. Film critics love it. I loved it and it resonated with me. Have you seen it yet? Maybe you think it's "mediocre".

I liked Bird Box because it was apocalyptic and dealt with the downfall of society, a common theme in this genre. I don't care if anyone else liked it or didn't, the film was made for me. I see Netflix just released Kingdom. I have loved it so far.

I could list dozens of shows and movies that I have been extremely thrilled with. Will everyone else? I. Don't. Care.

As long as Netflix keeps pumping in the fantastic content, people will continue to subscribe.

I think you just need to look harder in Netflix. Try some British shows like Marcella or The Bodyguard.

Re: Netflix Flexes

#46

Post by jdietrich »

adwf wrote: post #24
general8bitso wrote: post #9

I have been a Netflix subscriber for over 5 years now, but seldom use it anymore. Most streaming is via Hulu (commercial free) or Prime in our house nowadays. I don’t have children, but I could see how having the Disney catalog would be enticing to parents of young children. Also, strange the article did not mention Fortnight, by name, as a competitor.

I honestly don't think a Disney streaming platform should scare Netflix that much. You can get the entire classic Disney DVD back catalogue for ~£200, why would parents buy a streaming service for £10-20/month for years on end? And that's the whole classic catalogue - when you bear in mind that kids will happily watch the same old Frozen DVD over and over again, I don't see it as a huge compelling offering. Even addi…

Disney are much, much bigger than you seem to think. They own Pixar, Lucasfilm and Marvel Studios. They already own a large chunk of the US cable TV market, including ABC and ESPN. They have just gained regulatory apprival to buy 21st Century Fox. They aren't newcomers to streaming, because they have a 30% stake in Hulu, which will increase to 60% after the Fox deal is completed. They also own BAMTech Media, which provides streaming video services for the MLB, the NHL, the PGA Tour and WWE.

Netflix should be very, very worried about Disney's streaming ambitions.

Re: Netflix Flexes

#47

Post by ajcodez »

Netflix should create less content, not more. I find it low quality and will discount titles with Netflix logo that otherwise look interesting. I’m also a Mubi and Amazon Prime subscriber. It’s surprising to hear the original content is working for the company.

Re: Netflix Flexes

#48

Post by quicklyfrozen »

Pharmakon wrote: post #36
40acres wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For most casual consumers piracy is an inefficient way of getting content, even in the hay-day of piracy I'd bet that most consumers were getting their content via normal channels. A slight uptick in piracy may occur for the technically minded, but most consumers will pay for the convenience of streaming.

Things like Kodi boxes and steaming piracy sites have really changed the landscape. I find that many pirates today are not technical, might not know what bittorrent is, and find the whole experience to be roughly like any streaming service.

It's arguably a better experience if you don't need to be aware of which platform each piece of content is streaming on. And I'd rather see IMDB ratings then the rather meaningless "this is a 92% match for you."

Re: Netflix Flexes

#49

Post by adwf »

untog wrote: post #40
adwf wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I honestly don't think a Disney streaming platform should scare Netflix that much. You can get the entire classic Disney DVD back catalogue for ~£200, why would parents buy a streaming service for £10-20/month for years on end? And that's the whole classic catalogue - when you bear in mind that kids will happily watch the same old Frozen DVD over and over again, I don't see it as a huge compelling offering. Even addi…

Disney owns ABC, Marvel Studios and Lucasfilm. Not mention ABC Family and existing Disney cable channels. Between those assets they could make a very compelling streaming service. Something Netflix knows well since they were leaning hard on Marvel shows for a while.

Marvel and Lucasfilm are still very much in my "I've already got the DVDs" territory. The Marvel TV shows never really lived upto the hype for me and if Disney need to PG'ify everything, they'll have a hard time.

I'm probably underestimating some of the Disney kids TV shows that I've never heard of, but are they even on Netflix right now? Isn't Disney just going to cannibalise their own existing TV market?

Re: Netflix Flexes

#50

Post by gh02t »

40acres wrote: post #37
2bitencryption wrote: post #25

My takeaway from Bird Box is that if Netflix wants to make any of their original content one of the most-watched media events of the year, they can do it, regardless of the quality of the content itself. All it takes is for them to slip it in to people's "custom, curated" lists at a higher frequency, and maybe do a little subtle social-media engineering on Reddit/Facebook, and bam: instant box office smash of a deriv…

If you look closely enough you can see a clear trend regarding Netflix's content strategy. They will continue to make movies like Bird Box, B-style movies and "cult classics" that they can draw big numbers to via their reach and marketing. Oscar contenders like Roma and Beast of No Nation (a bit early for it's time if you ask me). Partnerships with foreign content makers to act as an international distributor (BBC pr…

Netflix has also been pushing anime/anime-style originals. I think this is a pretty interesting strategy, anime is relatively cheap to produce and is niche but has a huge fanbase worldwide.
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