M+E Daily
Amazon, Google, Netflix Angle for New Roles in Content Distribution
Story Highlights
Today’s news presents three ways in which the digital distribution landscape may soon shift:
Netflix as Premium Cable Option. Netflix’s Reed Hastings recently remarked that his company’s evolution into a premium cable channel could be “in the natural direction for us in the long term.” But the executive has already discussed with leading U.S. cable operators the prospect of offering Netflix to their customers as a video-on-demand service option, according to Reuters.
Analysts have focused on the implications that such partnerships would hold for premium channels like HBO (see The Hollywood Reporter). Another issue is whether/how Netflix’s subscription service would coexist alongside cable companies’ a-la-carte VOD offerings.
Amazon as Original Content Host. An Amazon executive has hinted at the company’s plans to follow Netflix, Hulu, and YouTube into original content acquisitions, reports Fortune. On Tuesday, Fortune spotted a production VP at Amazon changing his corporate title on his LinkedIn page to “vice president of original television.” More, it appears, is in the offing.
Google as Digital Retail Leader. Google’s newly launched “Play” store enables online and mobile shoppers to purchase music, books, movies, and apps, and access their digital collections from a free-to-use personal cloud. Taking a page from Amazon’s playbook, Google is looking to grab share from Apple’s iTunes with aggressive price promotions. This week, the 20-song pop compilation “Now That’s What I Call Music! 41” (released by Capitol on Feb. 7) sells on Play for just $0.25. More on Google’s ambititions with Play at the Los Angeles Times.
