Dear Netflix Executives,
What are you doing? When I joined several years ago, I saw a vision: on-demand viewing -- movies, TV shows, documentaries -- anything I wanted to watch at anytime at one low price.
Of course I understand that my dream is currently unobtainable, thanks to the greed of producers and studios. The current cable model has been a boon for those types: one very expensive price for a large selection of crappy shows most people aren't interested in, just so we can catch some specific shows on Disney, HBO, or AMC.
I really thought that Netflix, or something like it, would one day present a much more attractive and larger model -- one where movie producers would be paid according to how many views they get rather than being part of a package deal.
Overall, I think so far you've done pretty well providing a large variety of shows. I also like some of your Netflix Originals, such as "Stranger Things" and the MARVEL shows.
But now you are basically giving up on FOX? Without warning, I lost "House" and "Bob's Burgers," and gosh-darn it -- I was watching those.
Then I hear you want to move toward showing 50% original content? I'm all for original shows, but you're beginning to move away from my dream. This is all translating into fewer choices for me, which translates into less value in the Netflix brand, while increasing the value in Hulu and other competitor services that dab in the licensing market.
Sure, I'm just one person out of thousands who are upset about FOX leaving Netflix. I probably won't be leaving just yet, but I would urge you to take a closer look at what your customers are watching. Are they watching Netflix originals 50% of the time? If so, then sure -- go ahead with your goal. If not, you might want to rethink holding on to the major networks.
I will also hold out for my dream. Right now, who delivers what content is in flux and is really a big mess for us consumers, but one day, I think someone will figure it all out, and then I will gladly drop all other streaming providers and pay up to $50 a month to have everything I want coming from one source.
Just think about it. Do you want to become just another network? Or do you have bigger ambitions?
