Several
recent reports have glorified Netflix as a new power player in the film industry, and
now, the video streaming giant may be living up to that name more than
ever with its new possible venture into original programming.
A survey recently released by
The NPD Group found that Netflix's total share of both downloaded and
streamed digital movie units is 61 percent, while competitors like Comcast sit
at a lowly 8 percent in comparison. This doesn't seem too surprising,
considering the fact that Netflix has just achieved 20 million subscribers,
and has Hollywood film
executives all shook up and Blockbuster going bankrupt. Until now,
Netflix never mentioned any interest in branching out into original
programming, but all of that has quickly changed.
Now,
Netflix may be purchasing its first original program, which is "House of
Cards." "House of Cards" is a Media Rights Capital drama series
that is executive produced and directed by David Fincher, and stars Kevin
Spacey. It is based on the novel, which has the same title, about a British
politician who is looking to succeed Margaret Thatcher as the prime
minister.
Negotiations
are still ongoing since they were initially reported Tuesday afternoon.
According to Deadline, Netflix was rumored to have outbid networks
like AMC and HBO for the original series by offering a 26-episode, or two-season
commitment. The total cost for the new series was also rumored to be around
$100 million, but an anonymous executive told The New York Times that this figure
was incorrect and that no deal has been made at this point. He added, "In
the event that a deal is struck, it would cost Netflix significantly
less."
Television
executives were shocked at the two-season commitment, especially because many
networks usually pilot their projects before committing. For instance, HBO
produces a pilot episode for almost all of its shows, including
"Luck" and "Boardwalk Empire." Networks like AMC have
produced straight-to-series projects, such as "The Walking Dead," but
this series only contained six episodes.
While 26
episodes may seem like a risky first venture into original programming, it will
certainly put Netflix to the test and also put its name on the map. With Amazon.com treading into the video streaming world
and Warner Bros. showing movies on
Facebook, it was inevitable that Netflix would take the next big leap into
something new.
