Netflix has decided to go into the original programming business, signing up a major Hollywood thriller called House of Cards that is being produced by David Fincher (Kevin Spacey stars). Boy Genius Reports got Netflix to confirm the deal, though terms haven’t been disclosed.
Netflix’s main business model is mail-order DVD rentals for TV shows and movies, and the company has also branched out into live streaming of that content. Netflix offers its content on Macs and PCs (through a browser), and to iOS devices in the form of a hybrid app. The service is also one of the only third-party offerings to be found on Apple’s newest Apple TV, and it’s also available on a plethora of Blu-ray players and Internet-enabled TVs.
To that effect, the company’s model has been somewhat of a cross between a cable channel and Blockbuster (with perhaps some Fingerhut thrown in just to make sure we get the mail-order bit in there), but the move to offer a high-end original series pits the company against the likes of HBO and Showtime.
It also means that it will be competing (perhaps indirectly) with the studios that produce everything else Netflix distributes. Whatever the case, it’s definitely a sign of how Internet distribution is having a major impact on the business of delivering Hollywood content.
David Fincher will produce Kevin Spacey in House of Cards