Edging closer to a future where all of our digital services are wrapped up into one complete package, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings has been in talks with various cable companies working to get Netflix’s video streaming offering as part of, and through, their cable services. This would make Netflix an alternative or addition to a cable company’s on-demand options, certainly a boon to both customers who prefer to have their bills wrapped up in one tidy location, and cable companies that can’t compete with the staggering amount of media Netflix has to offer.
Initially, Netflix was seen as competition to these cable providers, but as the old adage goes, if you can’t beat ’em, add them as an additional option to your cable services. Reuters points out that even if these talks that Hastings is having with cable companies about offering Netflix has part of their cable package come to fruition, it could still take quite a while for the plan to actually be implemented and offered, as Netflix would have to rework licensing deals in order to actually get their offerings allowed to be offered through cable. It is also noted that taking Netflix off of the Internet and putting it onto cable would help alleviate the bandwidth issues ISPs face when dealing with Netflix streaming.
If these talks do come to fruition and some kind of deal is actually worked on, Netflix being offered through regular ol’ cable does seem a more convenient for users, in use, and considering the fact that streaming Netflix video won’t mean you’re bogging down your whole house’s bandwidth. Hopefully we’ll get word on any kind of agreement sooner rather than later.
(via Reuters)
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