How Netflix used its big data to put together House of Cards.

The article itself is foolishly inflammatory and pessimistic, but the specific claims about Netflix' market research is interesting:

> For at least a year, Netflix has been explicit about its plans to exploit its Big Data capabilities to influence its programming choices. “House of Cards” is one of the first major test cases of this Big Data-driven creative strategy. For almost a year, Netflix executives have told us that their detailed knowledge of Netflix subscriber viewing preferences clinched their decision to license a remake of the popular and critically well regarded 1990 BBC miniseries. Netflix’s data indicated that the same subscribers who loved the original BBC production also gobbled down movies starring Kevin Spacey or directed by David Fincher. Therefore, concluded Netflix executives, a remake of the BBC drama with Spacey and Fincher attached was a no-brainer, to the point that the company committed $100 million for two 13-episode seasons.

It's interesting how this will develop. I think the article is unnecessary pessimistic. I think BigData mining can also allow Netflix to detect and fund more adventurous ideas and categories, which traditional TV studios would think are too risky from the financial perspective.

So where's the LOST-like series then? Surely that has to be one of their biggest hits.