Netflix Is Becoming An Original Programming Player, What Would This Mean For HBO And Others?

written by: Gianluigi Cuccureddu

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Published on Thursday, 17 March 2011 10:02

This is what Deadline Hollywood reported, "in what is probably the biggest gamble in its 14-year history, I hear Netflix has outbid several major cable networks, including HBO and AMC, for  Media Rights Capital's drama series House of Cards, executive produced and directed by David Fincher and exec produced by and starring Kevin Spacey." The gamble of Netflix is said to be worth $100M, offering a commitment of two seasons, or 26 episodes.

It would mark a shift toward exclusive original programming, content Netflix CEO Reed Hastings has implied the company would not venture toward.

FastCompany reports on Hastings:

"Generally, I'm a believer in circle of competence," Hastings told investors in January. "When we start taking creative risks--that is, reading a script and guessing who might be good to cast in it--it's not something that, fundamentally as a tech company or a company run by a tech CEO like myself, we're likely to build a distinctive organizational competence in."

If the reports by Deadline Hollywood, Netflix would still be licensing the content--not producing it. However, with licensing deals in the past with content owners like Epix or ABC, much of the content had already been seen either in theaters or on TV. But licensing two seasons of a never-before-seen show? Investing in the talents of David Fincher and Kevin Spacey for an original series? That would arguably be much more of a "creative risk," something Hastings has told investors he's not interested in taking.