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CBS And Netflix Announce Extension Of Multiyear Licensing Agreement For Library Content In The U.S.

CBS Corporation and Netflix today announced an extension of its multiyear licensing agreement for select CBS library content streamed instantly to Netflix customers. Under the revised deal, new titles such as "L.A. Complex," "4400," and "CSI: NY" will be available to Netflix subscribers. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

In addition to the newly added series, the agreement also includes popular CBS series already on Netflix such as "Jericho," "Medium," and "Flashpoint," as well as episodes from some of television's most iconic franchises, including all generations of the definitive sci-fi series "Star Trek" and the cult favorite "Twin Peaks."

http://online.wsj.com/article/PR-CO-...08-907277.html

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Netflix launches user profiles for individual recommendations

Netflix is launching a tool on Thursday that will ensure your spouse's 'Kardashians' binge will no longer wreck your list of recommendations for cerebral French films with a strong female lead.

The new "Profiles" feature will let each Netflix account include up to five separate user profiles. The feature effectively sections off viewing habits for each household member, giving each person individualized suggestions and the ability to add their own favorite titles.

Eddy Wu, Netflix's director of product innovation, told CNNMoney it's long been obvious to the company that a father wouldn't want to watch "Dora the Explorer" simply because his two-year-old watched "SpongeBob Squarepants."

Wu noted that Netflix had been toying with different ways to solve that problem, but the company was resistant to introduce a feature that added an extra step for users.

"We tried a few things that didn't involve explicitly making profiles, because we didn't want to make it too complex for people," Wu said.

Ultimately, Netflix decided this setup was fairly seamless. In addition to profiles for family members, the new feature also lets users create profiles around themes of their choosing, like "Date Night."

The profiles feature will also let users link their Facebook accounts, in order to share their individual viewing history and get recommendations from friends. Netflix added Facebook integration in March after lobbying Congress to change an old video law.

For now, profiles will be available on Netflix's website, the Sony PlayStation 3, the Microsoft Xbox 360, Apple iOS devices and most smart TVs. Google Android devices won't support Netflix profiles until the end of the fall, Wu said.

http://money.cnn.com/2013/08/01/tech...les/index.html

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After The Weinstein Company early this morning announced a new deal that makes Netflix its exclusive U.S. subscription television service for first-run films starting in 2016, Netflix stock was trading at above $268, nearly +9 points (+3.4%) from yesterday’s close. Based on its nearly 59 million shares outstanding, that’s an increase in Netflix market value by more than $500 million in a market that overall is up less than 1% today. So who says quality film libraries don’t have value, even if the pay cable rage now is to generate original content?

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How Netflix Uses Piracy to Pick Its Programming

Netflix examines what’s popular on Internet piracy sites as part of its content-development strategy, according to a company executive.

In addition what’s popular among TV viewers in a given country, “when purchasing series, we look at what does well on piracy sites,” Netflix VP of content acquisition Kelly Merryman said, according to a translation of her comments to Tweakers, a technology website based in the Netherlands.

Netflix launched in the Netherlands this week, the 41st country where it has rolled out, offering its service for €7.99 per month (about $10.59 U.S.).

For the Dutch market, Netflix acquired the rights to “Prison Break” specifically because it has been very popular on pirate sites, Merryman said in the Tweakers interview. The show, which aired in the U.S. on Fox, was produced by 20th Century Fox Television.

Netflix execs have previously claimed that piracy rates decline in countries after it launches. Indeed, CEO Reed Hastings claimed that BitTorrent usage in Canada dropped 50% following the streaming service’s launch in the country.

“Netflix is so much easier than (using BitTorrent),” Hastings said in a separate interview with Tweakers. “You don’t have to deal with files, you don’t have to download them and move them around. You just click and watch.”

http://variety.com/2013/digital/news...ng-1200611539/

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