The One About Netflix’ Deal With Warner Bros. Is Completely Fair And So Is This….

February 2, 2010 by Toriach

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Recently it was announced that the video subscription service Netflix would be delaying offering new titles from Warner Brothers for up to a month. They did this as part of a deal with the company to be able to get older titles to make available for online viewing, and also to lower the per unit price for new releases thereby making it possible for them to have more copies and increase the likelihood that a particular title will be available.

Warner Brothers has been incredibly candid about their reasons for taking part in the deal. Namely the hope that with a delay in rental availability of new releases it will stimulate sales of their new releases.

All of this is perfectly fair and reasonable.

I know, I know, you are waiting for the other shoe to drop. You are waiting for the rant to begin. Nope. No rant.

Netflix is doing the best they can to serve their customers. And Warner Brothers is doing the best they can to grow their bottom line. They are perfectly well within their rights to do so.

However having said that, I am certainly not in agreement with Warners' reasoning in this matter. They seem to be laboring under the naive delusion that their actions are going to increase their sales. Well I wish it were a naive delusion, but really it's just modern business cynicalism. After all most people these days have the patience of a horny fruit fly. So it will probably work. With most people.

Not with me though. You see my nature is such that I am not spending my hard earned money on a movie unless I am sure that I want it. Which means that I usually rent it first. Right now I don't use Netflix, but if this little deal of Warners' were successful they'd probably seek to repeat it with Redbox, Blockbuster etc. So as a way of sending them a friendly message in the hopes they will correct this path they are headed down I’m publicly declaring that I will not be purchasing any new releases from Warner Brothers until they are available for rental via all standard outlets.

Now if enough people joined me I think that the studio would quickly get the message, because previously I only delayed buying new releases that I was unsure of. If a movie I knew I wanted was in budget I would happily buy it day and date. A movie like oh say Batman: Dark Knight. But no longer. Now even if I know I want the movie I will not be buying it until it’s available for rental via Netflix, Blockbuster, and Redbox.

I think I'm being perfectly fair and reasonable. After all sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander.

Keep The Faith My Brothers And Sisters!

(This article originally appeared at The One About...)

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