Quote:Once upon a time, cord cutters dreamed that instead of paying huge cable bills, they’d be able to replace that expense with a single online service. Since the cable industry had resisted any attempt to introduce à la carte pricing, the thinking went, the Internet would simply bypass the old guard and deliver a universe of content from providers like Netflix, all at one conveniently low price. In reality, unfortunately, things are trending in the opposite direction.

If the market were consolidating, Netflix would be the obvious choice to lead that process. It’s the largest video-on-demand provider by far, with the most diverse content library and the largest collection of homegrown, self-produced content. Shows like The Man in the High Castle, and Transparent have been big hits for Amazon. But Netflix has Jessica Jones, Daredevil, House of Cards, and Orange is the New Black, as well as critically acclaimed movies like Beasts of No Nation. Given the amount of money Netflix has spent to broaden its appeal, you’d expect the company to be adding content left and right. Instead, an analysis from AllFlicks found that Netflix’s total volume has shrunk significantly in recent years.

In 2014, Netflix had 6,494 movies and 1,609 TV shows (8,103 titles in total). Today, Netflix offers 4,335 movies and 1,197 TV shows. That’s 5,532 titles in total, a decline of nearly 32% in just two years.

This decline hasn’t stopped Netflix’s generally positive growth, but it’s part of a wider business trend. Last August, Netflix’s deal with Epix for The Hunger Games: Catching Fire and The Wolf of Wall Street both expired. Netflix opted not to renew those deals, supposedly because it wants more exclusive content, not material that customers can watch in other places. From Netflix’s perspective, this makes sense: If you can watch your favorite TV shows at Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu, then you’ve got no reason to remain a Netflix customer. If, on the other hand, you’re addicted to one of Netflix’s self-produced television shows, you’re less likely to leave if the company raises its rates or makes other changes some customers might not like. Netflix is investing $6 billion in producing its own content this year, which should illustrate how serious the company is about the shift.

(04-10-2016, 01:13 PM)BoFox Wrote: No more Doctor Who on Netflix!!!  My wife and son loved the entire Dr. Who series - Netflix had everything, and then now nothing!!!    Netflix!