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The video streaming service plans to spend up to $8bn on content next year to compete with fast-growing rivals.
Netflix will issue bonds to investors, although the interest rate it will pay has yet to be decided, the company said in a statement.
Netflix plans to release 80 films next year, but some analysts are wary about its cash burn and debt interest costs.
The company's latest debt fundraising is its largest so far, and the fourth time in three years it has raised more than $1bn by issuing bonds.
Earlier this month, Netflix said it would raise prices in countries including the UK and US for the first time in two years.
Has Netflix added enough original material to make up for the licensed content they've dropped and the price increase they mean to enact?
(Score: 2) by jmorris on Wednesday October 25 2017, @02:28AM (1 child)
Take your net neutrality shilling elsewhere. Netflix made peace with big cable years ago, which is why they no longer care about the issue. They colocate "Netflix in a box" appliances in all the ISP central offices. Cable boxes are building in Netflix support so you don't even need a third party device (i.e. Roku/XBox) to watch so they can keep you in their UI. Soon enough Netflix won't even count toward your bandwidth cap. And of course that means the cable co can see what you watch. Netflix is well on the road to becoming another HBO and the cable companies are all too happy to assist that transition. They know how to monetize that. Soon you will be able to subscribe to Netflix through the cable company like you do HBO and have it all on one bill.
People think the cable company is obsolete. Nah, they own the pipe most people would use to watch any replacement with, as any of them get big they will partner up with them as just another content outlet, exactly like they carry HBO, Showtime, NICK, CNN, FNC, etc. Netflix will eventually just be another tranche of on demand programming merged into their menus. And if you have the Tivo co-branded cable box / DVR it will even look and work nice. And to make the convergence complete, don't be shocked when a NetFlix channel pops up on your channel grid snuggled in with the other premium channels.
(Score: 2) by bob_super on Wednesday October 25 2017, @04:22PM
You're looking at it backwards, unsurprisingly.
Netflix wants to go straight to the consumer, not be just another HBO.
Big cable can't prevent it under Net Neutrality rules, so they Embrace for now, to reduce cord-cutting. Big cable owns HBO, showtime and the others. Netflix is an annoying competitor threatening the oligopoly and its fat margins.
As soon as your ISP, who wants to sell you their own overpriced video service, is no longer required to treat Netflix packets fairly, why the fuck would they?
Netflix would need to be as profitable for the ISPs as their own service, then the bean counters would point out that not investing their own money is better. But being as expensive as HBO without getting the newest Hollywood blockbusters? Why would the customers watch?