When asked during his second-quarter 2020 earnings call how he felt about Netflix’s current prospect of balancing original content with takeover titles, co-CEO Reed Hastings had a great response. Apparently, the streaming service is happy with its current ratio of original versus purchased titles, and uses its number of hits to keep viewers glued to its platform, and apparently makes viewers consider them its “best friend.” That’s his whole strategy, even when he can swerve to look Hamilton At Disney +, you know you can go back to Netflix for more hits than you’ll find there.
“We want to be so successful that when you come to Netflix, you can go slam dunk and never have to think about any of those other services, right?” Hastings said. “We want to be like your main, your best friend, whom you turn to. And of course, occasionally, there are Hamilton and you’re going to go to someone else’s service for an extraordinary movie. But for the most part, we want to be the ones to always please you with convenience, the simple and easy option. “
Hastings also scoffed at new projects in the works for Netflix, and while he didn’t directly say what these plans entail, he seemed to think they will hold the streaming service’s position as his best friend.
“I feel great about how many big bets Ted has to come,” Hastings added. “I’m aware of the things that we’re doing now that will come out in 2 or 3 years. And it’s kind of amazing, I mean. And some of them are going to be really cool and I’m going to be very proud of that. So I’m excited that we’re taking those risks. “
Some of those big bets that Netflix is planning are undoubtedly its main acquisitions in the comic book world. In 2017 they acquired Mark Millar’s Millarworld editorial line, giving them the right to turn many of their titles into movies and television shows, in addition to developing new projects with the comic scribe. Various titles from the writer’s library are already in the works like movies, live action television and animated series.
Recent hits in movies like The Old Guard and Extraction also seem to be the kind of movies they claim to explode as their “hits.” Both films come from popular talent, The old guard stars Academy Award winner Charlize Theron while Extraction comes from Avengers Endgame co-director Joe Russo and star Chris Hemsworth; and both are on their way to being among their most popular original titles. The formula for Netflix to win their friendship is clear, spending money on things that the public would like to see in a theater and then giving them to them at home.
(Cover photo by Mateusz Slodkowski / SOPA Images / LightRocket via Getty Images)
Disclosure: ComicBook is owned by CBS Interactive, a division of ViacomCBS.
.
