Hacker News Reader

Comment by zatkin | Hacker News Reader

For anyone curious as to why "the studios" are not giving their titles to Netflix is because they are developing their own, independent Netflix's (i.e. Comcast is has internet TV at tvgo.xfinity.com).

View on HN

Comcast makes the mistake of using their online streaming as leverage to tie people to their cable subscription model. I wouldn't mind looking into subscribing to their streaming, but I'm not interested in cable TV so they're out of luck. IMO this gives Netflix the advantage for now at least.

Comcast can charge a crapload of money for cable.

If they offer internet services at netflix prices and are highly successful (lots of signups) - if this allows a small fraction of their cable customers to cut ties, Comcast loses money.

I genuinely wonder who has a better brand image among the general population, between Comcast and Netflix.

Most definitely Netflix. But Comcast and other cable companies have long-standing ties to studios, and are betting that if they can secure the content rights, they can win regardless.

which is why it's so important that netflix can have their own original series. House of cards, and dare devil comes to mind, but they need to do more. Once they break the strangle-hold of studios, and have their own content, they can slowly leverage their large subscriber numbers and fight the studios on even terms. I wish HBO and netflix join forces, because i see them as being more similar than different. But of course, that'd never happen...

Reply on news.ycombinator.com