You’ve just finished studying at Mckeldin Library for your nutrition exam, seven pure hours of memorizing the functions of proteins, lipids and carbohydrates. Thoughts in your mind are racing with facts and diagrams, constantly self-testing itself. It won’t stop. You could go to sleep to end it or you could watch Netflix.
I can’t be the only one who has done this.
Netflix is the leading television network for over 86 million members in over 190 countries, according to their website. Yet it was only founded in August of 1997, a year before I was born. In an interview with CNBC, Ted Sarandos, the chief content officer indicates how he is trying to take this success even further with a new feature that allows users to watch TV and movies without being connected to Wi-Fi. This new feature is based off the Netflix app, in which users will use to download movies and TV show, which can then be watched offline. Sarandos is hoping this feature will appeal to areas where high internet speeds aren’t present. This is not the first time this idea has been proposed to the public. In April, CEO Reed Hastings indicated a positive outlook toward offline viewing. Although, Sarandos offers no concrete confirmation of this new feature, his interview indicates a stronger indictment that the offline viewing will be coming rather soon to Netflix.
What’s interesting to note is the U.S. may not be the first to receive this update. Being the company’s biggest market they are not the target.
However, Netflix’s new partnership with Comcast does target U.S. users. Beginning within the next week, Comcast subscribers will be able to watch Netflix as if it is just another cable channel on their televisions. Not only can this partnership serve to acquire Netflix more users, but it may also help to solidify its current users by providing an additional way in which they can interact with Netflix.
But the question many are asking is how can a company that has been around less than 20 years be this successful?
Things aren’t always how they seem to be on the surface. After Netflix missed their subscriber target by over 30 percent downgrading their stock, according to analysts in July, investors are questioning the value of their company. Though they have expanded overseas, growth is slowing down. Over 190 countries have been introduced to Netflix, but breaking into China is seeming to be more of a trouble than Netflix originally thought, proving things aren’t always how they seem to be.
Despite Netflix’s recent roadblocks slowing down their company’s expansion with the addition of an offline feature and its new partnership with Comcast, I have no doubt with its growing popularity with youth that their success will pick back up.
Featured Photo Credit: Courtesy of WikiCommons.
Jazmin Connor is a freshman letters and sciences major and can be reached at jazminmarie55@gmail.com.