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You are here: Home / Popular Culture / Late Night Open Thread: What Was Netflix Thinking?…

Late Night Open Thread: What Was Netflix Thinking?…

by Anne Laurie|  December 19, 201312:56 am| 40 Comments

This post is in: Popular Culture, Science & Technology, Romney of the Uncanny Valley

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Oh, my. RT @lambertslovelee: I guess this is why you don't put Christmas lights on a palm tree pic.twitter.com/lozOszYZT5

— Brad Friedman (@TheBradBlog) December 3, 2013

There were half a dozen commentors asking, as a response to my post on the Mitt documentary, “What was Netflix thinking?” Which reminded me that I hadn’t yet put up a link to Tim Wu’s The New Republic article proclaiming/explaining “Netflix’s War on Mass Culture“:

… Whatever it calls itself, Netflix still has tech-company DNA; its game, in part, is data. Much more so than a network that reaches viewers through a third-party cable operator like Comcast or Time Warner, it knows what its customers actually like and how they behave. To the consternation of entertainment reporters, Netflix never reveals just what its numbers say (or anything resembling ratings), but Sarandos says its process for “House of Cards” worked roughly like this: “We read lots of data to figure out how popular Kevin Spacey was over his entire output of movies. How many people actually highly rate four or five of them?” Then his team did the same for David Fincher. If you liked The Social Network, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, and Fight Club, “you’re probably a Fincher fan—you probably don’t know it, but you are,” he says. Once the company has a sense of how many fans are out there, it can “more accurately predict the absolute market size for a show.” And when you can do that, you don’t have to worry about pandering to, or offending, the masses.

Right now, American viewers are averaging only about 45 minutes of Internet-streaming video per week, a blip in comparison with total television intake. Given that audiences trained for decades to respond to event-driven television, how realistic is it to expect more viewers to shift from traditional TV? John Steinbeck offered one answer: “It’s a hard thing to leave any deeply routined life, even if you hate it.” Any historian of consumer technology would add that machines change much faster than people….

Netflix believes it has a powerful factor in its favor as it tries to change viewers’ habits. “Human beings like control,” says Sarandos. “To make all of America do the same thing at the same time is enormously inefficient, ridiculously expensive, and most of the time, not a very satisfying experience.” There is a freedom achieved when your options extend beyond that night’s offerings and the limited selection of past episodes that networks make available on demand. Specifically, it’s the freedom to only watch television you really enjoy. The crude novelty factor that compels people to try “Whitney” or “Smash” ultimately yields a lot of disappointed and frustrated viewers. An old episode of “Freaks and Geeks” or “The West Wing” might in fact be more worth your time—a message Netflix has pressed in a recent ad campaign promoting its collections of classic series and cult hits. Eventually—or so goes the strategy—people won’t be able to imagine having their options defined by a programming grid. Not coincidentally, Netflix has been vying with Amazon to become the premiere source of streaming series for young children, for whom having to wait for new episodes of their favorite shows to air is unfathomable…

Presumably Netflix has the data to show there is a mineable vein of subscribers who will watch… quite possibly hate-watch, but it’s all the same to Netflix… a documentary about Willard ‘Mitt’ Romney. I’ve noticed Netflix has been losing the streaming warz to Hulu when it comes to Japanese anime and Korean historical soap dramas, so maybe the Netflix data indicates an opening for exotic semi-historical cartoons?

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40Comments

  1. 1.

    James E. Powell

    December 19, 2013 at 1:13 am

    It will be interesting to learn how many people watch the Mitt Farewell Tour film. I don’t think it’s going to spark a wave of right-wing viewers because it is going to be about Mitt, not about how Obama is out to destroy America by providing people with health care insurance and stuff.

  2. 2.

    Bubblegum Tate

    December 19, 2013 at 1:16 am

    Dammit, I just posted this in the last thread, but I may as well get in on the ground floor of this open thread:

    So Dan Savage is kinda-sorta reviewing Snowbilly Snooki’s “book.” It’s pretty great:

    And if I may: Gay people have been persecuted for years, for centuries, for motherfucking millennia. Really persecuted, primarily by people of faith. And our persecution didn’t take the form of straight people wishing us well but failing to use precisely the right phrase. No, we were burned at the stake, arrested, imprisoned, committed, lobotomized, thrown out of our homes, and fired from our jobs; our children were taken from us, our partners were barred from our hospital rooms during medical emergencies, and on and on and on. And yet… somehow… the joy of giving and receiving blowjobs wasn’t drained from our minds and hearts.

    If centuries of persecution didn’t ruin blowjobs for gay people, Sarah, “happy holidays” isn’t going to destroy anyone’s Christmas.

  3. 3.

    pacem appellant

    December 19, 2013 at 1:17 am

    You’re over-thinking this. It was either a cheap documentary to acquire streaming rights to, or it will generate buzz (non-exclusive or). Adding interesting properties to their streaming catalogue is what all the streamers are trying to do.

  4. 4.

    ? Martin

    December 19, 2013 at 1:18 am

    Presumably Netflix has the data to show there is a mineable vein of subscribers who will watch… quite possibly hate-watch, but it’s all the same to Netflix… a documentary about Willard ‘Mitt’ Romney.

    Conservatives are a bottomless well of suckers willing to pay money to hear their narrative validated by some third party. Fox News has been hugely profitable by playing this game. Netflix just got 20% of Medicare recipients to call their grandkids and ask them to hook up this Netflix whazamajoo for them.

  5. 5.

    Omnes Omnibus

    December 19, 2013 at 1:20 am

    @Bubblegum Tate: Why are blow jobs and anal sex considered to be a purely gay thing? Who the fuck should care who put what where? If everyone involved was of age and voluntarily agreed, everyone else should fuck right off.

  6. 6.

    David Koch

    December 19, 2013 at 1:29 am

    “What was Netflix thinking”

    I’m sure they bought the distribution rights cheap.

    Most documentaries are inexpensive, but this one must of been bargain basement.

  7. 7.

    Suffern ACE

    December 19, 2013 at 1:32 am

    Geez. It’s a documentary. Hopefully in the future, our losers will have access to streaming on Netflix, too.

  8. 8.

    David Koch

    December 19, 2013 at 1:37 am

    Incidentally, the CEO of Netflix was at the White House yesterday joking around with the President, pleading with him to make a guest appearance on House of Cards.

    And then the President showed why he’s president and not Romney.

  9. 9.

    ? Martin

    December 19, 2013 at 1:44 am

    @pacem appellant:

    Adding interesting properties to their streaming catalogue is what all the streamers are trying to do.

    Of course, because streaming properties don’t generate enough revenue to pay for the traditional content that they’re streaming. The studios envisioned streaming revenues on top of cable revenues, not instead of. The reason why Netflix lost a fair bit of their content was that their efforts to jack up prices was met with such resistance.

    Put another way, if everyone was paying Netflix rates instead of cable, most of the stuff we watch would disappear because there wouldn’t be enough money to produce it. I bet that Mitt documentary was pretty fucking cheap to make.

  10. 10.

    wasabi gasp

    December 19, 2013 at 1:59 am

    The Romney’s Wrinkles post seems to be the most popular post of the day. Even more than John’s latest installment of Holy Fucking Christ, Why Me?, which is a very popular series.

  11. 11.

    SatanicPanic

    December 19, 2013 at 2:05 am

    I just saw the trailer and I gotta admit I am tempted to watch it.

  12. 12.

    PurpleGirl

    December 19, 2013 at 2:14 am

    @David Koch: I loved that YouTube! President Obama was so perfect greeting the people on the tour — big smile, a laugh, and bright eyes. That man has charisma to spare.

  13. 13.

    Cain

    December 19, 2013 at 2:16 am

    I would totally watch it. Knowing that his tears will enrich my cup of life.

  14. 14.

    fleeting expletive

    December 19, 2013 at 2:18 am

    How come I’d never seen Airport II? Of course it’s horrible, but it has the Shat-ner in it, doing sort of comedy. It’s about all cable is offering me this night. Suggestions, anyone? On cable, because It’s what I’ve got.

  15. 15.

    pacem appellant

    December 19, 2013 at 2:28 am

    @? Martin:

    The reason why Netflix lost a fair bit of their content was that their efforts to jack up prices was met with such resistance.

    Not true. Netflix lost a few properties, but gained a ton more (whether they’re watch-able is an open debate). And subscribership rebounded. At this point, I need to disclose that I work at said company, and have zero objectivity, but a reading of the publicly disclosed fine-print reveals that netflix content is expanding, and their pricing model isn’t driving away customers.

  16. 16.

    Temporarily Max McGee (soon enough to be Andy K again)

    December 19, 2013 at 2:28 am

    @fleeting expletive:

    Do you mean “Airplane II”? Good, silly sequel to Zucker, Abrahamsms and Zucker’s “Airplane”, but without their involvement. Not as good as the first, but not bad, imo.

    The “Airport” films are all dramas- schlocky dramas.

  17. 17.

    PurpleGirl

    December 19, 2013 at 2:29 am

    @fleeting expletive: No recommendations as I just turned off the TV and will read for a bit before trying to go to sleep. My sleep cycle has been seriously disrupted for a few weeks and I’m awake at 2:29AM.

    ETA: And for nocturnal animals all the kittens at kitten cams I watch, are sleeping.

  18. 18.

    pacem appellant

    December 19, 2013 at 2:30 am

    @fleeting expletive: Airplane II, the Sequel, you mean! And IMHO, much funnier than Airplane, mostly because of Shatner. Though the full body scanner in Airplane The Movie was prescient and funny to my pre-pubescent self.

  19. 19.

    something fabulous

    December 19, 2013 at 2:43 am

    @Omnes Omnibus: So to speak.

  20. 20.

    Tommy

    December 19, 2013 at 3:10 am

    @PurpleGirl: I don’t have a kitty cam, but I can assure you mine is awake :). For me Justified is rerunning like 4-5 shows. I’ll be watching that.

  21. 21.

    Higgs Boson's Mate

    December 19, 2013 at 3:46 am

    Never got into the habit of watching television. Life landed me in any number of boondock places where there wasn’t any. By the time cable made TV ubiquitous I was already well into middle age and I was in the habit of filling my time with other things. I enjoy the occasional documentary or Brit police procedural and there are enough of them on Netflix and Amazon Prime to last me a lifetime at the rate that I watch. I’ve tried watching some of the shows mentioned here and they just struck me as contrived and/or overwrought. That’s just me. De gustibus non est disputandum.

  22. 22.

    Tommy

    December 19, 2013 at 4:00 am

    @Higgs Boson’s Mate: I am 43. Outside a few years in college I didn’t have cable until about 7 years ago (with a TiVo). I used to think TV sucked. And at many levels it does. But I am stunned with a DVR if you look around how much good TV is around (looking at you BBC America BTW). And since I am TV “dumb” on so much stuff, even easier.

  23. 23.

    El Caganer

    December 19, 2013 at 4:38 am

    I’ll definitely be watching this one. Many is the time I have wondered, after way, way too much Mad Elf, “Suppose you wrote a teevee script combining The Terminator with The Last Hurrah?” Never thought it would happen.

  24. 24.

    Baud

    December 19, 2013 at 4:58 am

    Please tell me that photo is of Betty Cracker’s house.

  25. 25.

    Just Some Fuckhead, Thought Leader

    December 19, 2013 at 5:22 am

    The Fam insisted on setting up one profile on on Netflix for all four of so that’s gotta be fucking up Netflix’ data pretty bad. None if us have any crossover viewing habits so you’ve got this crazy virtual person out there who watches documentaries, sports movies, teen musicals, old classic movies and everything in the Cartoon Network.

  26. 26.

    fuckwit

    December 19, 2013 at 5:23 am

    Insomnia fucking sucks. It’s 2:22AM and I’m still awake. Not getting any useful work done, mind you, but awake just the same.

    However, kudos to whomever posted that clip of Steve Harvey and the President greeting people at the WH. Hilarious.

  27. 27.

    gene108

    December 19, 2013 at 5:47 am

    @? Martin:

    The reason why Netflix lost a fair bit of their content was that their efforts to jack up prices was met with such resistance.

    I think it’s a bit more complicated than that.

    Netflix made a pretty good offer for digital contene to Straz for example, but Starz is looking at setting up their own streaming channels / systems, so they can get more money directly than what Netflix pays in royalties.

    I believe this is what helped kill the Starz deal a year or two ago.

    Everyone is trying to drive Netflix out of business, but somehow they seem to be surviving. Really is remarkable they have the sticking power that they have.

  28. 28.

    Higgs Boson's Mate

    December 19, 2013 at 6:02 am

    @gene108:

    Good points. I think that Netflix, and its investors, are in it for the long haul. Starz and others definitely want to get in on this. They may find that it takes more than some robust servers and a website though.

  29. 29.

    low-tech cyclist

    December 19, 2013 at 6:13 am

    John Steinbeck offered one answer: “It’s a hard thing to leave any deeply routined life, even if you hate it.”

    Sounds kinda familiar…here’s this, from the Declaration of Independence:

    all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed.

  30. 30.

    evodevo

    December 19, 2013 at 7:05 am

    Netflix is a godsend to us rural folk out here in the boonies – I can’t afford broadband (Hughes at $70 a month for retirees – really?) and all that hype about getting wireless to us hicks was a no-go evidently. For ~$12 a month I can get all the DVDs two at a time I want via snail mail, even when the satellite goes out, and it’s too nasty to get to town to the Redbox.
    Hallelujah.

  31. 31.

    gene108

    December 19, 2013 at 7:18 am

    @Higgs Boson’s Mate:

    Starz wants to become HBO, with their own content to lock in viewership.

    HBO wants to muscle into Netflix’s space, which is why they are offering you a streaming service for a few bucks more.

    I get Starz through my cable provider and they just started running promos for their streaming service.

    The competition in the retail* content provider market has gone from stagnant – over air networks provide content, local cable monopoly, defined rates, etc. – to a very rapidly changing and competitive market because of improvements in technology, with regards to both wired and wireless bandwidth have changed how people can receive programming.

    *Yes, Comcast, Time-Warner Cable, Netflix, Hulu, etc. are similar Target, Macy’s, etc. because like traditional brink-and-mortar retailers, they buy goods at wholesale (content) and resell it at a mark-up to consumer.

  32. 32.

    BruceFromOhio

    December 19, 2013 at 7:29 am

    @David Koch: That is hilarious. Thanks for making a dull,grey morning all bright and smiley.

  33. 33.

    HeartlandLiberal

    December 19, 2013 at 7:33 am

    Well, we are retired, have dumped Comcast TV, but have a business class Comcast Internet account, and on the 28th, I am switching to Comcast digital voice bundled with the Internet account. For $5.00 more than what I was paying before for just the Internet. And having the incredible pleasure of telling ATT to kiss my, well, me good bye.

    We have a Netflix streaming account, and Amazon Prime account. I recover the Amazon cost in free shipping. And we sure exceed the average streaming time mentioned. We have been devouring all the great British mystery series of the past three decades, along with a lot of other stuff, at the rate of an episode every night. An hour or an hour an a half of TV a day via these providers is far more than we watched while we still had cable, which is a sump of mindless reruns, for the most part useless series, and news journalism that no longer deserves the name.

    Here is what Netflix and Amazon have got to do next. Improve their search, so you can search on actors, themes, genres. Right now, the search is brutally primitive and limited to titles or key words in titles.

  34. 34.

    NorthLeft12

    December 19, 2013 at 7:36 am

    My wife and I just signed on to Netflix. She is okay with it, but not really that excited. For me, it is an early Christmas present.
    All our local video stores have shutdown, and our local provider has a terrible selection of on demand movies [expensive too!]. I am able to watch some very good series [Breaking Bad] that I would have had to either buy the DVD sets or subscribe to the network that carries them. I figure I have saved about thirty bucks in the first week.

    I have to thank my new son-in-law for this as he gave me an introduction and sales pitch of the service.

  35. 35.

    BruceFromOhio

    December 19, 2013 at 7:38 am

    @pacem appellant: Your employer snuck in and chained itself to our viewing habits in a very stealthy way. I had finally joined the 21st century by purchasing a BluRay player, and discovered the thing had WiFi capability. I didn’t think much of it until I stumbled through the menu system and found the 30-day NetFlix trial. Obvious now, but at the time I expected the collision of internet connectivity with big flat panel and surround sound to come through a pc device, not a $150 BluRay player. For $7.99 a month, it’s a bargain – every time that auto-debit comes through, I remain surprised NetFlix hasn’t upped the price in the 3 years I’ve been a customer.

    My sole complaint is I can’t stream ‘Justified,’ I have to go to those wannabe’s at Amazon, and I’m not ready to do that,

  36. 36.

    Mustang Bobby

    December 19, 2013 at 9:04 am

    I’m going to put Mitt right up there on the list with the collection of Adam Sandler’s Oscar-nominated performances and the director’s cut of all the Pauly Shore oeuvres.

  37. 37.

    JustRuss

    December 19, 2013 at 11:59 am

    Given that audiences trained for decades to respond to event-driven television, how realistic is it to expect more viewers to shift from traditional TV?

    If my experience is any indication, very realistic. Cut the cable 5 or 6 years ago, DVDs and Netflix streaming is all we watch. The few times I watch “real” TV, it’s almost painful. Who needs networks setting our viewing schedule when any show can be streamed any time? Give me a few channels for live sports and stream everything else, please.

  38. 38.

    Stella B

    December 19, 2013 at 12:32 pm

    @PurpleGirl: Two words: morning sun. Go outside early in the morning and get a little sun, even if it’s overcast, even if you have to put your big fluffy jacket on. This will lead to rising melatonin levels in the evening. Minimal side effects and the price is right.

    I almost never watch cable any more, except for Rachel now and then. Hulu for Colbert and Stewart, Netflix for the rest. As a book reader, I never could get into watching TV on their schedule rather than mine.

    I was contemplating putting some lights on the palms. Guess not.

  39. 39.

    JustRuss

    December 19, 2013 at 3:52 pm

    @Stella B:

    I was contemplating putting some lights on the palms. Guess not.

    Oh, I don’t know, nothing says “Happy Holidays” like a well-lit palm tree. Really, really happy.

  40. 40.

    Someguy

    December 19, 2013 at 5:54 pm

    I’m kind of with you AL. They really shouldn’t be airing this stuff b/c there isn’t much market for it and really, anybody to the right of, say, Nancy Pelosi is basically dead, dying or at least on Geritol, and heading for history’s ash heap with their discredited racist philosophy and dying way of life.

    On the other hand, if this was 1939 and you were marketing films to the Hitler Youth organization, even knowing what the future holds, you’d realize there was still another 4-5 years worth of good profit to be made by shilling right wing propaganda. So it makes sense if Netflix realizes it’s time to pull up stakes when the profitable chunk of its oppressive, right wing audience segment starts crapping its pants and calling every person in the house Eisenhower. I’m giving it 5 years.

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