| Netflix’s licensing fix: The LA Times has an interesting piece on how Netflix remains dependent on older, licensed TV shows, even as it pumps out more originals than ever. Although original series will make up more than half of Netflix’s new releases this month–a first for the company–one study found that licensed shows such as The Office and Breaking Bad still account for 80% of Netflix viewing, and 42% of subscribers barely even watch Netflix originals.
You might view this as a counterpoint of sorts to my column this week. Part of the reason people are fretting about “fragmentation” among streaming services is because media companies are now pulling their old shows out of Netflix and back to their own platforms. While Netflix is stocking its service with lots of interesting new shows, people still want to watch the old stuff that it’s losing.
That said, a lot of the older network shows that had been Netflix’s bread and butter–think Fox’s Family Guy or NBC’s 30 Rock–have simply moved over to Hulu. It’s not hard to switch if watching those shows is a priority.
5G TV hype: Verizon is dialing up the hype for its forthcoming 5G fixed wireless network, which in theory could replace home internet service. This week, the carrier said the service will include either a free subscription (of unspecified length) to YouTube TV or a free Apple TV 4K streaming box.
Don’t get too excited yet. The only cities slated to get 5G coverage this year are Indianapolis, Houston, Los Angeles, and Sacramento, and Verizon has said nothing about how much it’ll cost or whether any data caps are involved. (One potential nightmare scenario: Each wireless provider teams up with different streaming services to exempt them from data caps, kneecapping consumers’ ability to choose for themselves.) We don’t even know how widespread the service will be throughout each city. More competition among internet providers will ultimately be good for cord-cutting, of course, but for now 5G is still a lot of talk with little to show for it. |
