Letter to the Editor – The Globe and Mail

RE: “The game’s over. Hands off my Netflix”, October2  

Margaret Wente muses “the game is over” for traditional television, andbelieves she has abandoned broadcast TV. However, the programs she’s watchingright now – Breaking Bad and Homeland – were developed, commissioned, and promoted by the very networks Ms. Wente has apparently deserted. Ms. Wenteignores the fact that Netflix is essentially the re-run home of contentoriginally seen on TV. Right now, only seven of the thousands of seriesavailable on Netflix are actually made by Netflix. The rest didn’t come fromthin air; they exist because of networks in Canada, the U.S., and around theworld. We agree that consumers’ viewing habits are changing, and massiveindustry upheaval is ahead. But Netflix is clearly just one component in a muchlarger ecosystem that is well prepared to innovate and compete, as it continuesto deliver content beloved by viewers, including Ms. Wente. The game is farfrom over.