Netflix CEO: Piracy created the internet that now uses Netflix

Netflix has become almost synonymous with movie streaming. There are others but it is Netflix that is the Kleenex of streaming services. There are many reasons why this happened but the CEO of the company says piracy was among them, TorrentFreak reports.

The CEO and the face of Netflix, Reed Hastings, spoke to Spanish press preparing the launch in Spain this year. In Spain like in other European countries entertainment industry has been plagued by piracy and Hastings says Netflix has been successful in these type of markets.

Once the consumer has a choice to use a reasonably priced and easy to use legal service they will flock to use that. This is why Hastings told El Mundo that piracy has prepared the internet users for their service.

Online users want ease of use which Hastings says Netflix excels at. He isn't afraid of the competition from free (and illegal) services. "Tap water is free but there is still people buying bottled water," said Hastings.

At first the release in Spain will not be as full fledged version of the service as stateside but the catalog will expand over time, like it does in other newer markets. Exact launch date has not yet been revealed.

EDIT: Netflix will launch in Spain, Portugal, and Italy in October.

Written by: Matti Robinson @ 5 Jun 2015 10:34

treyjazz

This makes sense when the people don't want to get caught for torrenting and don't understand the other methods of procuring content (or don't want to spend time searching if it is on Netflix). He didn't mention Netflix's disc subscriptions though. I know quite a few people who got it just to rip discs for their collections so that is even furthers the theory of why Netflix has succeeded.

6.6.2015 01:31 #1

supersaiyaman

and it also could be that the movie studios are so narrow minded that they have trouble thinking of outer ways to get their content out their..their are outer ways than just buying discs.they could put their main movies up a few wee3ks before they are relesed on dvd or blue ray and have a streaming service or they could offer high qality key word their is high qality digityal copies off their movies for purchase at say 12 too 20 dollers.of course those are just ideas.they offer digital content but im talking about on evry single blue ray that they produce should offer that option and in high qality

9.6.2015 08:26 #2

Bozobub

Originally posted by treyjazz: This makes sense when the people don't want to get caught for torrenting and don't understand the other methods of procuring content (or don't want to spend time searching if it is on Netflix). He didn't mention Netflix's disc subscriptions though. I know quite a few people who got it just to rip discs for their collections so that is even furthers the theory of why Netflix has succeeded.
There is also the ease-of-use of Netflix. A LOT of people simply don't want to bother - or are too intimidated - to learn how to torrent content.

Frankly, I pirate content quite often BUT I also use Netflix. Where else am I gonna get my B-movie fix from..?!

9.6.2015 10:47 #3

ThePastor

I like Netflix and I believe it has made huge inroads into the piracy problem and just the normal living room as well.

My problem is that Netflix is a casual, browse until you see something, kind of service. If I was bored and wanted something on the TV then Netflix would fill that role.

But over the past several years my viewing habits have changed dramatically. The idea of just watching what happened to be available or happened to catch my eye at the time is crazy. I watch specifically what I want to watch, when I want to watch it and for as long as I'd like to watch. I am not casually browsing a catalog hoping to find something. I'm pulling up a specific show for the specific time, and Netflix just does not fill that role.
Sometimes its there, sometimes it's not, most of the time what I want to watch isn't even available. I'm not going to settle for Seinfeld when I'm wanting to watch Game of Thrones.
Now, I know that this is not a simple issue. I get why I cannot watch the current season of Game of Thrones, but that doesn't change the reality.
People's viewing habits are changing. The total per week numbers are down, across the board. People are watching far less and being quite choosy about what they watch. If Netflix plans on staying ahead of the game they are going to have to make sure they have the shows people want and not just a huge library filled with filler.

Oh, Im sorry... Did the middle of my sentence interrupt the beginning of yours?

9.6.2015 18:47 #4

treyjazz

The addition of Netflix shows like House of Cards and Orange is the New Black will keep a lot of subscribers around. It was a great move for them. There are a lot of B movies and 80s movies but sometimes they are good for a (re)watch.

10.6.2015 05:21 #5

subpopz

I used to pirate, a lot. Pretty well everything I watched was pirated.
Until I got a VPN (I'm in Canada) and got American Netflix and HuluPlus.
I happily pay for these services and my pirating has dropped significantly.
I never pirated because I'm cheap or didnt want to pay the makers of the content, it's that the studios weren't giving me the content the way I wanted it at all.
TV programming, I have to watch on a schedule (granted PVRs came along, but still have to record on their schedule).
Movies coming on DvD and Blu-ray are tedious. Unskippable ads, FBI warnings, 10 mins into the disc and I'm not even watching the movie yet. Then there's the layers of protection preventing me from watching the movie that I paid for on whatever device I wanted, or making copies for myself to watch on other devices.

Streaming gives me exactly what I want and gladly pay for it. As long as I can log in, I can watch whatever I want on whatever device I want, wherever I want. I really hope more studios and companies get their heads out of their asses and join in with putting their content on Netflix or Hulu

10.6.2015 08:01 #6

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