After Sling Media got the go-ahead for streaming content to the iPhone over AT&T’s 3G network, other companies have been pushing video apps heavily – but none are as hoped-for as the one Netflix is reportedly considering.
Netflix is hinting at a forthcoming iPhone app that will stream TV show episodes and movies available on its existing streaming service, asking subscribers whether or not they’re interested in such a service. The reason this survey is so important is that Netflix did the same thing before expanding its streaming content and before it launched streaming support for the PlayStation 3 and the Wii. These console questions were very specific about how the service would operate, just like the iPhone survey.
According to a leaked copy, iPhone owners could watch movies and TV shows instantly, without any advertisements or other content like trailers. Netflix said it could take as little as 30 seconds for the content to load and no additional fees would be required.
If it comes about, the service would likely initially launch as a Wi-Fi-only option, with AT&T wanting a very close look at exactly how much data the service takes up. The bigger the beast, the longer it’ll take for AT&T’s 3G network to open up to it.
Netflix CEO Reed Hastings previously called the iPhone a long-term goal, saying the company would focus first on TVs, Blu-ray players, STBs and gaming consoles. Netflix can check off most of that list, which means the iPhone and other mobiles are likely up to bat. Netflix is one of the standard Web-enabled TV apps, and it has plans in place for a presence on all three gaming consoles. At least five major CE makers have Netflix on their Blu-ray players, and the service is available on boxes like TiVo DVRs and Roku’s unit.
The discussion of the apps makes it seem that Netflix has at least considered all the royalty and licensing deals that come with mobile distribution. These would scare off most, but Netflix is in a key position for mobile that few other services can boast.
Netflix’s bread-and-butter is old content. Whether it’s movies from the ’80s or the first few seasons of TV shows that have been on the air for a while, the streaming offering is built on what’s no longer current. This means Netflix is in a position to go after content that doesn’t have the big distribution demands or existing licensing conflicts that most new content has.
Netflix won’t run into the same brick wall that music does because it doesn’t need the latest content from the big names. Studios will gain an additional distribution method for content they have a hard time selling on DVD or to cable networks, and they’ll also shore up support for existing content brands.