Netflix's ad-supported tier won't get full catalogue

Netflix continues to struggle with subscriber loss, with over 200,000 subscribers reportedly dropping the service earlier this year. One solution it's doing to regain viewers is through a new cheaper ad-supported option. But there is an added downside to the more affordable option. Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos confirmed this new plan wouldn't have all of the platform's licensed content. Because this would require new deals with studios. 

If you are subscribing to Netflix for its originals, you don't have to worry about them. This ad-supported tier will have all the shows and films. Sarandos claims the "vast majority of content" will be available at its launch. Netflix has partnered with Microsoft to assist with the "technology and sales" of this new tier, with Microsoft's platform being used for ads.

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Netflix’s Ted Sarandos defends decision to cancel ‘The Get Down’ and Sense8’

For fans of the shows The Get Down and Sense8, the recent news that Netflix canceled them is a devastating blow. And even with clamor from fans to get the shows renewed, it looks like the streaming service isn’t changing its mind. According to the company’s Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos, they had to cancel the shows because the cost of production wasn’t being justified by its viewership. According to The Wrap’s story on Sarandos’ statement, the chief content officer said, “We couldn’t support those economics. If you put all your money into something that a very few people are watching, eventually you’ll have nothing for people to watch. … But relative to what it cost to make [The Get Down], we couldn’t put together enough audience to support those economics. … Similarly, the audience [for Sense8] was very passionate but just not large enough to support the economics of something that big, even in our platform.”

Netflix isn’t one to release its viewership data but it’s the first time Netflix has announced such high-profile cancellations. And this isn’t the end. CEO Reed Hasting said recently, we could expect a higher cancel rate for the service’s original series in the future—which ones this will be we don’t know yet.

Source: Screen Rant

Netflix promises over 1,000 hours of new content for 2017

We’re covering the panels at Netflix’s event in New York City and the streaming service is promising even more content for the year. In fact, they are saying there will be over 1,000 hours of content this year ranging from new films, series, stand-up specials, to documentaries with each catering to varied interests.

“We aren’t in the business of creating ‘one size fits all’ programming, or building slates to fill a finite number of hours of a programming grid,” said Ted Sarandos, Chief Content Officer at Netflix. “We’re catering to a dynamic world full of people with different tastes - and as a result, no two Netflix experiences are alike - we want to have something for everyone to enjoy.” Some of the new stuff to watch for include Bill Nye Saves The World, Marvel’s Iron Fist, Chef’s Table Season 3, Dear White People, Girlboss, and Julie’s Greenroom, to name a few. 

Netflix might be considering offline playback

Stranger Things (Netflix)

Netflix users have been clamoring for offline playback to no avail for years. But it seems the streaming service might reconsider this… except there isn’t any certainty it’s coming here. Netflix’s Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos says the company is considering bringing offline mode to areas where access to high internet speeds isn’t readily available. "We have talked a lot about this over the years and our belief is that broadband and Wi-Fi become more and more ubiquitous, available in more and more places that you are, more and more minutes of the day," Sarandos told CNBC. "Now as we've launched in more territories… They all have different levels of broadband speeds and Wi-Fi access. So in those countries they have adapted their behaviors to be much more of a downloading culture. So in those emerging territories it starts to become a little more interesting. We still think for the developed world our thesis has been true but I think as we get into more and more (of the) undeveloped world and developing countries that we want to find alternatives for people to use Netflix easily."

Sarandos won’t give a specific date when this feature will be available to users. The idea though is to let users download movies to watch offline. But since the company launched in 130 new countries and added 3.2 million new international subscribers, of course, it seems obvious they want these new markets to drive future growth for the company. We’re still holding out hope they reconsider the original markets they launched in.