Netflix has become the first streaming company to join the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), Hollywood’s most powerful lobbying group. This is the first time a non-Hollywood group has joined the group which consists of the six Hollywood studios. The MPAA has been a strong proponent of Digital Restrictions Management (DRM) in all technologies it touches and lobbies extensively for maximal reductions in use.
The Netflix-MPAA union coincides with the streamer becoming a card-carrying member of the Oscar race after securing an unprecedented 15 nominations on Tuesday morning. Netflix CEO Reed Hastings and Sarandos are intent on upping the company's profile as a legitimate force in the movie business, and joining the MPAA will further that goal.
Additionally, once Fox is merged with Disney, the MPAA will have one less member, meaning a loss of as much as $10 million to $12 million in annual dues. Sources say the MPAA is courting other new members as well (Amazon could be a candidate).
Articles about Netflix have been featured a lot on SN in many different contexts.
Earlier on SN:
Video Streaming Services set for Cambrian Explosion (2019)
Netflix to Raise $2 Billion in Debt to Fund More Original Content (2018)
Netflix is the Latest Company to Try Bypassing Apple's App Store (2018)
[. . .]
Related Stories
Submitted via IRC for SoyCow4408
Netflix is joining the likes of Epic Games Inc. and Spotify Technology SA in its latest move: testing a way for users to register and pay for the streaming service while bypassing Apple Inc.'s app store and hefty commission fees.
The streaming giant is the latest company to look into bypassing Apple's app store and Alphabet Inc.'s Google Play. Both Apple and Google take a 30% commission on all apps and in-app purchases, and the commission drops to 15% after the first year.
[...] Companies have long complained about the heavy cut Apple and Google take in return for visibility on their platforms. Spotify does not allow new subscribers to sign up via Apple's app store, though the app itself can still be downloaded there. The company has been especially vocal about the fees over the years, publicly speaking out and approaching U.S. and European regulators about the issue.
Submitted via IRC for SoyCow1984
Google has just publicly disclosed that it discovered an extremely serious vulnerability in Epic's first Fortnite installer for Android that allowed any app on your phone to download and install anything in the background.
Also at TechCrunch and Forbes.
See also: Google is irresponsible claims Fortnite's chief in bug row
Previously: Fortnite's Android Version Bypasses Google Play to Avoid 30% "Store Tax"
Netflix to raise $2 billion in debt to fund more original content
Netflix’s commitment to growing its original content collection will see the company again returning to debt markets to raise more financing, the company announced today. According a release published to its investors site, Netflix says it plans to raise $2 billion to help fund new content, including “content acquisitions, production and development, capital expenditures, investments, working capital and potential acquisitions and strategic transactions.”
[...] “We recognize we are making huge cash investments in content, and we want to assure our investors that we have the same high confidence in the underlying economics as our cash investments in the past. These investments we see as very likely to help us to keep our revenue and operating profits growing for a very long time ahead,” the letter to shareholders read.
Netflix also pointed to the increasing competition in the industry as one of the reasons why original content investment was so critical, adding that it didn’t only compete with linear TV, YouTube, gaming, social media, DVDs and pay-per-view, but with a number of new and upcoming streaming services, as well.
“Content companies such as WarnerMedia and Disney/Fox are moving to self-distribute their own content; tech firms like Apple, Amazon and others are investing in premium content to enhance their distribution platforms,” the letter also stated. “Amid these massive competitors on both sides, plus traditional media firms, our job is to make Netflix stand out so that when consumers have free time, they choose to spend it with our service,” it had said.
If you watch streaming aggregators such as Netflix and Hulu you've likely noticed a decrease in the scope of their catalogs, with items of interest being added less frequently over time, and entire catalogs of content disappearing. New shows come out and don't ever make it to the service, or perhaps are only available through some add on service.
My favorite of all time was the "You need a cable subscription to watch this content, please log in with your cable provider", why even show us those?
This trend has been ramping up as providers try to build and market their own streaming services and restrict competition via content (or via adjustments to bandwidth for their streams)
And it is getting worse - "Netflix and chill no more—streaming is getting complicated" explores the trend.
Disney Plus is set to launch late next year with new Marvel and Star Wars programming, along with its library of animated and live-action movies and shows. It hasn't announced pricing yet, but Disney CEO Bob Iger said in an August call with analysts that it will likely be less than Netflix, which runs $8 to $14 a month, since its library will be smaller.
AT&T plans a three-tier offering from WarnerMedia, with a slate of new and library content centered around the existing HBO streaming app. No word on pricing yet.
Individual channels, such as Fox, ESPN, CBS and Showtime, are also getting into the act. Research group TDG predicts that every major TV network will launch a direct-to-consumer streaming service in the next five years.
Subscribing to service after service will quickly cost more than a cable bill, choice will be limited, finding shows more difficult, and multiple terrible interfaces (instead of one well known crummy interface). Much of the point of cord cutting will be dismantled.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday January 23 2019, @12:04PM (2 children)
I'm ditching Netflix for a better service that doesn't cater to Mafia rule. P1r@736@y sounds like a better option.
(Score: 2) by takyon on Wednesday January 23 2019, @06:07PM (1 child)
https://soylentnews.org/comments.pl?noupdate=1&sid=29485&page=1&cid=782978#commentwrap [soylentnews.org]
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday January 23 2019, @07:52PM
i have a t-shirt showing Yoda on a exodus walk from the disney-starwars universe on chronos wielding a tvONE light saber.
oh, and it got those DVD numbers printed on the backside ...
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Wednesday January 23 2019, @03:07PM (9 children)
I'll want and see. But this could have a good moderating effect on the MPAA.
Netflix has an interest in making sure its content cannot be 'stolen'.
But Netflix has an interest in a cheap vibrant internet in order to deliver its content. This would cause Netflix to oppose some other MPAA members' ideas about crippling the internet.
The lower I set my standards the more accomplishments I have.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday January 23 2019, @03:23PM (7 children)
If you can't beat em, join em.
Netflix doesn't care if the internet is crippled as long as they are the ones doing the crippling.
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Wednesday January 23 2019, @04:46PM (6 children)
If Netflix can't deliver its content, it goes out of business.
Netflix cares that the internet works. The MPAA would like to destroy the internet.
The lower I set my standards the more accomplishments I have.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday January 23 2019, @06:54PM
no. netflix cares if it's traffic gets to it's slaves and that's not necessarily the same thing as a working internet.
(Score: 2) by PartTimeZombie on Wednesday January 23 2019, @06:55PM (4 children)
I'm sure the MPAA know what their customers want. Customers want DRM in their media.
Anyway:
You wouldn't steal a handbag. You wouldn't steal a car. You wouldn't steal a baby. You wouldn't shoot a policeman. And then steal his helmet. You wouldn't go to the toilet in his helmet. And then send it to the policeman's grieving widow. And then steal it again! Downloading films is stealing. If you do it, you will face the consequences.
(Score: 3, Touché) by Gaaark on Wednesday January 23 2019, @08:35PM
Man, these anti-piracy ads are getting really mean.
--- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
(Score: 3, Funny) by DannyB on Wednesday January 23 2019, @09:23PM (1 child)
I can't steal (eg download) your movie right now because my internet connection is busy downloading a pizza.
The lower I set my standards the more accomplishments I have.
(Score: 3, Funny) by PartTimeZombie on Wednesday January 23 2019, @09:53PM
Nice. Is it still illegal to download pineapple on it?
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Wednesday January 23 2019, @09:24PM
I have the MPAA and RIAA as much (maybe more) than anyone.
I'm just thinking that Netflix joining might not be all bad news.
The lower I set my standards the more accomplishments I have.
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 24 2019, @09:14AM
Netflix is pro internet crippling. This is the first salvo https://www.defectivebydesign.org/netflix [defectivebydesign.org]
Thanks to W3C and Timmy B-L they got that already. Soon you will not be able to use the internet without a Microsoft or Apple machine.
"Surrender terrorists, you have been surrounded!"
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday January 23 2019, @03:50PM
I think with their recent news about creating things people are not asking for, increasing price and losing customers, they are now partnering up to get more money.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by exaeta on Wednesday January 23 2019, @04:39PM (3 children)
It seems the MPAA had cookies.
MPAA is the enemy of a free internet and the people. I cannot support MPAA members.
I would join the boycott of Netflix but I already don't subscribe because of how they treat Linux users. Instead I will convince others to join the boycott.
The Government is a Bird
(Score: 5, Insightful) by tangomargarine on Wednesday January 23 2019, @05:05PM (1 child)
"If you can't beat 'em, join 'em", I guess. All the other media companies desperately trying to kill off Netflix pivoted them to making their own content, and now this is the next logical step.
If these morons would just license all their content to one central service instead of thinking they can get people to spend 10 bucks a month for 8 different services, they could probably be making more money anyway. But that would involve being less greedy and not in total control, and we can't have that.
"Is that really true?" "I just spent the last hour telling you to think for yourself! Didn't you hear anything I said?"
(Score: 2, Interesting) by bussdriver on Wednesday January 23 2019, @05:22PM
Maybe if there was a non-profit in charge of the gateway to their content... one which wasn't totally beholden to the corps they support... like the MPAA but not 100% corporate whores who are stuck in a past before the transistor; with the goal of keeping customers happy so they don't copy the stuff.
More like the w3c where they define the standards for the tech of the web. Or a government dept which defines the lower level standards involved (like the US dept. of commerce does it for the internet protocols... in this case it would seem to be the FCC; but government wasn't as broken then as it is today and continue will be until the collapse.)
(Score: 2) by Lester on Wednesday January 23 2019, @05:24PM
Of course, now it is a content producer.
When it was just paying royalties for streaming other's content, maybe it was a little upset for having to pay while others did it for free, but not a big deal. It needn't to be an adamant defender of Copyright system that is not very popular in Internet. Now Netflix produces Copyrighted contents and wants exclusivity and/or royalties. Besides, it has a lot of costumers that have become Netflixcoholic, not afraid of any backslash.
(Score: 2) by HiThere on Wednesday January 23 2019, @05:48PM (3 children)
If I were a Netflix customer, I'd consider this a good reason to switch to Fortnite. Even if it meant buying a MSWindows computer.
MS is evil and vile, but they aren't as bad as the MPAA.
Javascript is what you use to allow unknown third parties to run software you have no idea about on your computer.
(Score: 2) by takyon on Wednesday January 23 2019, @06:09PM (2 children)
Yeah, I saw the Netflix v. Fortnite article, but if you aren't gaming it makes more sense to replace Netflix with Kodi [soylentnews.org] or some other means of streaming or downloading.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 2) by Gaaark on Wednesday January 23 2019, @08:42PM (1 child)
Yup: this is why people download and share. Cut the crap and people wouldn't bother!
Plus, Netflix (et al) drop a show you want to see, you are SOL: you download it, it is yours when YOU want to watch it.
--- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
(Score: 3, Insightful) by edIII on Wednesday January 23 2019, @10:51PM
You're using Netflix incorrectly then. I think I get a 1/3 to 1/2 of my content via Netflix, and the rest via piracy.
When I wish to watch something that is on Netflix, it's just plain easier, or about the same amount of work on Kodi, to watch it. The moment Netflix drops a show, I use piracy instead. The interesting part is that if I pirate Netflix content, am I actually pirating Netflix content? I'm already entitled to watch it, and I flat out deny the ability of any copyright owner to dictate how I consume their protected work, or if I can consume it in 720/1080/4k/480p/3D/8k/etc. If I paid for a license, I can watch it any way I want, anytime I want, on any device I want, in any place on the planet I want.
Netflix makes it easy for me to be legal for quite a lot of content, and still, at a pretty damn cheap price point. It's still something like $15/mo, and I can remember in my ignorant youth paying a cable TV provider $139/mo. So I'm loathe to call them greedy or unaffordable.
The real question is how comfortable am I with part of that $15/mo going to the coffers of the MPAA. The answer is that I'm seriously considering getting rid of Netflix, and switching to straight 100% piracy for all content from now on.
Technically, lunchtime is at any moment. It's just a wave function.
(Score: 2) by Freeman on Wednesday January 23 2019, @05:58PM (3 children)
Netflix ceased to be a "market disruptor" quite some time ago. They are a massive corporation and have started creating their own content. I use them, because it's better than Hulu/YouTube and not as evil as Amazon or the Cable/Satellite TV Cartels.
Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday January 23 2019, @06:58PM (2 children)
quit being a slave and download torrents. if you're scared of getting in trouble use a vpn. if you're scared of getting malware use a grown up's OS. ridiculous false choices...
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Freeman on Wednesday January 23 2019, @09:39PM (1 child)
The fact is that downloading torrents of copyrighted works is illegal where I live. As such I am obligated to abide by the laws we have setup or help to get them changed. Even in the event that we gate sane copyright laws on the books. That doesn't mean downloading a torrent of a recent movie would automatically be fine. As copyright was designed to protect against such things. It just wasn't meant to be a Forever Copyright. Without copyright protection, many industries would spiral down the drain. It would actually be more of a plummet to the bottom. There would be nothing stopping there being 5000+ competing sites trying to cash in on the latest thing to be released, because as soon as it was released everyone would have it. There would also cease to be any incentive for new content to be created other than Altruism. You wonder why outright Communism/Socialism didn't work in Russia? That is it, no incentive to better one's own circumstances. As you can't better your own circumstances, when it all goes to the state.
Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday January 23 2019, @10:38PM
You sound like a faggot.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday January 23 2019, @07:56PM
maybe i did something wrong, but i installed AndroidX86 on a intel nuc, fetched the neflix app from google play and ... it didn't work.
so, 3 bucks per month for unlimited TV watching is ok, if they would already provide a official netflix repo for kodi, non?