Keen to be a company and a service for the future rather than the past and present, Netflix has reportedly turned down requests from movie studios to add a ‘Buy’ button to its service.
Netflix Says No To ‘Buy’ Button
Industry insiders claim that Hollywood movie studio execs have made requests to Netflix to add a ‘Buy’ button to its ‘Watch Instantly’ streaming service. This would mean viewers could click on the button in order to buy the movie that was currently playing, although it’s not clear if that would be in a digital or physical format.
In return Netflix would get “better terms” from the studios, suggesting some of the income generated from sales would be subtracted from the price Netflix pays to obtain the content in the first place.
Netflix, however, has repeatedly turned down these requests.
A Decision For The Future
Netflix has clearly signaled its intent in refusing to add a ‘Buy’ button to its streaming service. While the movies studios are cautiously embracing streaming and online video as a necessary step for the future, they’re also keen to hang on to the past and present.
Movie theaters are losing attendance to people keen to watch at home on DVD, and DVD sales are falling thanks to people turning to streaming and digital downloads.
Netflix sees itself as the ultimate destination rather than a stopgap, and adding a ‘Buy’ button would suggest it’s open to being a stopgap on the journey to a bigger and better solution for the industry.
Conclusions
I wouldn’t mind if Netflix added a ‘Buy’ button, and I don’t think too many people would, really. But Netflix isn’t interested in giving Hollywood something to fall back on, knowing the sooner streaming video services are embraced the better for the company.
[Via CNET]
