They already have my money so why are they trying to keep my eyes glued to their content?
My guess is that if you’re watching something else other than Netflix, you’re likelier to cancel the service than someone who spends all day on it.
It adds to their numbers? “1.2 million viewers watched the 12th century lute making documentary, sell your zither making documentary to us”
Brian
If you aren’t watching anything, are you going to renew?
I assume too there’s some revenue sharing? So watching something they made - like Ozark - means they don’t have to pay the movie studio a little extra every time someone watches that Hollywood blockbuster on Netflix instead.
Yeah, the WSJ just had an article how hard it is to retain subscribers:
Some percentage of people who watch will talk about what they watch - free advertising to get new subscribers. If you’re not watching, you’re not talking about it - and thus are less useful to them.
Also since Netflix has increasingly had to become a content creator because of the continuing balkanization of streaming content, they now spend a LOT on Netflix original content, so I’m sure they are very invested in which of their house brand content hits and what doesn’t. They’re known for cancelling even shows that seem to be doing well after only a couple seasons, like ‘The Santa Clarita Diet’, so their algorithm for what constitutes ‘enough eyeballs’ and / or ‘proper demographic’ for any particular show must be pretty high.
I’m sure Netflix would love it if you gave them money and didn’t watch anything. Gym memberships often work on that model.
That’s likely a factor too - the more streaming services, the higher the bidding for content; plus some, like Disney, have their own streaming meaning that their own content is not even in the market.
This is short-term thinking, and many gyms have to play tricks with contracts and onerous cancellation procedures to make it work, and even then it doesn’t work that well.
Netflix thinks long-term.
Can you explain? How is Netflix trying to keep your eyes glued?
I subscribe to Netflix and have ever since we got DVDs in the mail. But I never watch it-- sometimes I go there and look through the offerings but I never find anything I like. I have thought of canceling, and I’m not sure why I don’t. But it’s not like I get emails from them or anything. What are they doing to you?
I thought the OP was asking a completely different question, about how if you are binge-watching a show they will pop up an “Are you still watching?” message after three or four episodes. My guess is they are trying to reduce bandwidth - they don’t want to keep streaming to you if you’ve fallen asleep, for example.
Oh. Well, that makes perfect sense. IS that what the OP was asking?
I think this is it. Since I use AT&T for fiber I got a free HBO Max subscription. I used it for In the Heights and Dune, but I sure wouldn’t pay for it.
I have a Netflix app, which pops up notifications regularly (I really need to switch those off) with what’s coming to Netflix, what they think I’ll like, etc. I assume the OP is referring to those sorts of things.
And yeah, I think it’s about retention.
Netflix and Amazon Prime are the services we keep all the time. Netflix is by far the most used. From time to time we sign up for a month or a few months of some other service for a specific purpose – like I signed up for Peacock for the Olympics. All of the services want to convince you that you should stay a subscriber.
I signed up for Amazon Prime for the two-day delivery long before the video part happened. That’s the desirable part of the program for me, although I do watch some oldies on Prime.
Yes, that’s why I signed up as well. If it was a stand alone streaming service, I would not keep it. At least not all the time.
I get daily emails from them, sometimes multiple times a day. Telling me what’s in the “Top 10 Today in the U.S.” Letting me know a new movie or series that I “might be interested in” was just added. Letting me know when new episodes or seasons of series I have in my watch list are available. “Reminding” me to continue watching something I stopped before finishing.
Yikes! That would drive me NUTS!
Do you like getting those? I’d unsubscribe (to the emails) immediately or direct them to spam.