Netflix predicts a future free of linear TV channels
Watch eight sporting events simultaneously. Why? Because it's the future, that's why
Netflix’s earnings letter to shareholders contains some interesting little tit-bits about how the video on demand provider sees TV evolving in the next few years.
According to Netflix, in the future “UIs will evolve in astounding ways, such as allowing viewers to watch eight simultaneous games on ESPN, color coding where the best action is in a given moment or allowing Olympics fans the ability to control their own slow-motion replays.”
And that’s not all – in ten years’ time, Netflix reckons that watching linear TV will seem like using a rotary dial telephone.
Obviously Netflix has a vested interest in promoting this vision of the future – it is selling non-linear video on demand, after all.
But it’s not going to have the video on demand future all to itself – it reckons that, “just as broadcast networks have substantially transformed themselves into cable channels over the last twenty years, both broadcast and cable networks will effectively also become Internet networks like Netflix.”
It’s good news for viewers – there will still be plenty of channels competing for your attention in the post-linear-TV age.
For the time being, the two main video on demand subscription services are Netflix and its nearest rival Lovefilm – we’ll be running a full comparison piece on Stuff.tv soon, so stay tuned to find out which is best for you.
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Dan Grabham
Editor-in-Chief 
