There’s been plenty of discussion this year about how we’re approaching peak TV, which amounts to levels of original scripted programming that only Andy Samberg can successfully catch up on while locked in a bunker for a year. In our effort to wade through the avalanche of content, we at The A.V. Club even had to present our guide to peak TV in two parts. Soon enough, every TV Club writer will also be forced to make the difficult choice between the free daily half hour they currently enjoy or all forms of hygiene. There’s simply too much to watch, and sacrifices have to be made.
Netflix CEO Reed Hastings seems quite pleased with the situation though, and for good reason. As reported by CNBC, Hastings remarked in an interview with Mad Money’s Jim Cramer that his company’s success is tied directly to the explosion of the internet and streaming content. “It’s really the internet,” he said. “The internet is transforming so many sectors of our economy, and we are internet TV; and that sector has grown from very small 15 years ago to starting to be significant now.” Going further, he predicted that in 10 to 20 years, all of TV—sports and other live events included—will be on the internet.
Although he didn’t explicitly say it, Netflix clearly plans to be front and center in this future-TV model. Original content like House Of Cards and Orange Is The New Black merely represents the beginning of the company’s planned takeover of an industry literally wrapped in cables for decades. “We are just a learning machine,” quipped Hastings. “Every time we put out a new show we are analyzing it, figuring out what worked and what didn’t so we get better next time.” So those worried that their personal tastes will soon be totally shaped by code needn’t worry. If that organic feeling translates into a downswing in streams, Netflix will systematically determine a way to eliminate it.