Netflix is approaching it’s 100 millionth subscriber. Yes, that’s right. 100 million people are currently subscribed to Netflix. Which speaks to my cord cutting theories that I have talked about at length in some of my posts. So why is this such a milestone for Netflix? Just two years ago, it was only at 59 million. That’s a lot of ground to gain in a short amount of time. What is Netflix doing differently that other services aren’t? Well, I think they are giving people what they want. That being, the ability to watch what they want, when they want and how they want. Sure, you’ll have to wait for another season of House of Cards, but you can watch the entire thing on the day it is released. Or you can wait to watch it with your partner over the weekend. Have a binge watching session from your couch or bed. And sometimes other services don’t provide us with those options.
Further, Netflix gives us access to a greater number of their original shows. Which, in most cases, is fantastic. If we look at those alone, it’s no wonder that Netflix is doing so well. Think – House of Cards, Orange is the New Black, Bloodline, Narcos, Stranger Things, the recent Gilmore Girls miniseries, Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, the Defenders, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Grace and Frankie, Master of None, Love and a ton of their own “docu-series” which include a number of comedy specials. And that’s not even a full list. There are many that I didn’t list in here, but you get the picture. If we look at just some of the comedy specials alone, Netflix is killing it. Most recently, Dave Chappelle’s comedy specials. Which I’ve heard mixed reviews about, and if I wasn’t so busy I would be watching them right now. That being said, the price is literally right in this case.
My argument for cord cutting, once again, is that there needs to be a bigger benefit to the consumer than what they are currently receiving. And in this case, I think that argument could be made. Based on what I listed above, and based on the monthly subscription rate, it’s no wonder that Netflix has broken the 100 million mark. I have heard people say that they just have Netflix. And while I think that’s a bit extreme, I can also see how it works. As I mentioned, I don’t have a ton of time to watch TV. And I might have mentioned in other posts that I don’t like to make a lot of decisions. So an option like Netflix is perfect. I find a show that I like, and Netflix automatically tells me what else I will want to watch. Sometimes they’re right, and sometimes they’re wrong. But at the end of the day, it’s one less thing for me to think about. And yes, I use TV as an escape from my life. I will admit that. But is that so bad?
Over the last couple of years, they have improved their service. Letting users give a thumbs up or thumbs down to determine their preferences. And letting you skip through the opening credits of a show. Both of which are positive. Especially the latter from a binge watching perspective. Who doesn’t have the House of Cards or OITNB theme songs stuck in their head for days or weeks after watching? I feel like I have them in there now. It seems that Netflix is currently listening to their users, and giving them what they want. The ability to stream Netflix from your hotel room when on a business trip makes this a no-brainer. Or at least I think it does. Having control over when, where and how you watch TV is the way that we are going. And I think Netflix has cornered that market. Sure, others are getting there, but all of this only leads me to believe that this is why they have so many subscribers.