Netflix has been a staple for the past 14 years. What started out as DVD rentals turned into something much bigger. Even with Netflix taking big losses in the past year, you can’t deny that Netflix changed the way we view shows and movies. Here are 6 interesting things about Netflix.
Netflix Started in 1997
Serial entrepreneurs, Marc Randolph and Reed Hastings began the company in Scotts Valley, California. Users would rent movies from the Netflix website and get the DVD in the mail. Once they were done, they’d mail it back.
Blockbuster Had the Chance to Buy Them Out
Netflix wanted to partner up with Blockbuster. Blockbuster also had the chance to buy out Netflix for $50 million. However, they didn’t see the vision. Too bad because they went bankrupt in 2010 by not being able to keep up with the new streaming technology that many people adopted. The brick-and-mortar model became a thing of the past.
The Video Streaming Component Was Introduced in 2007
Netflix started out with the “Watch Now” feature, which allowed users to watch tv shows and movies on their personal computers. The only gripe is that it only worked on Internet Explorer and PCs. It had just 1,000 titles to watch but it was a start.
It Became Global in 2016
Different places throughout the world started to get a piece of Netflix and began creating their own content. In fact, Netflix invests billions of dollars in just original content.
The U.S. Views 80% of Original Content on Netflix
While Netflix has many other properties and of course different deals for syndication, the original content is what breeds the most success in the U.S.
70% of Netflix Users Binge-Watch
It’s not surprising because Netflix has a thing where they literally segway into the next episode in a matter of ten seconds. It catches your attention span and keeps you locked in before you know it.