Netflix Co-CEO Touts Success of Licensed Content, Says More Third-Party Shows Are Coming
‘True Blood’ and more HBO content is headed to Netflix, after the service has seen great success from series like ‘Insecure’ and ‘Ballers.’
Some poor streaming service is out there walking around with nothing, because Netflix has it all. That platform announced its third-quarter earnings on Wednesday, Oct. 18, and revealed that it had accrued nearly 9 million new subscribers, pushing its global total to almost 250 million.
- Netflix has licensed several high-profile shows from third parties this year, including a range of HBO content as well as “Suits” from Peacock.
- Each licensed show has done excellent ratings for the streamer; “Suits” was Nielsen’s top-rated streaming show for 13 straight weeks.
- Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos says more HBO titles are due to arrive on the platform soon, including “True Blood.”
Success with Originals and Library Content
Netflix mostly makes its bones with original series, titles like “Stranger Things” and “Bridgerton” that generate huge word-of-mouth and drive thousands of new customers to the service. But once a viewer has burned through all available episodes of those well-known originals, they need a catalog show to watch to keep them engaged while they wait for the next season to come out.
That’s where Netflix’s myriad licensing deals come in. Most recently, it struck a deal with Warner Bros. Discovery to import HBO originals that had never been seen on any platform besides Max to Netflix, and that decision has paid off in a big way. The Issa Ray-led comedy “Insecure” saw a 370% rise in engagements after being moved to Netflix, and WBD officials have confirmed the licensing agreement has led to greater engagement for titles being shared with Netflix on Max too.
“Suits” came to Netflix as part of its licensing deal with NBCUniversal. The show has spent 13 weeks atop Nielsen’s streaming TV ratings charts, and Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos says one of the reasons it has been so successful is his platform’s ability to match titles with customer demand.
“Licensing third-party content has always been part of our strategy, and we’ve — something we’ve been really great at being able to do is match that audience,” Sarandos said. “I think ‘Suits’ is a great example of the impact of the Netflix effect that we can have because of our distribution footprint and our recommendation system, we were able to take suits, which had played on cable and had played out in other streaming services and pop it right into the center of the culture in a huge way, not just in the U.S. but all over the world.”
If It Ain’t Broke, Don’t Fix It
There are more HBO titles heading to Netflix in the near future, as well. “Six Feet Under” will make its debut on the platform on Nov. 1, and Sarandos revealed that the vampire drama series “True Blood” was also set to bow on Netflix in the near future. It’s all part of Netflix’s strategy to offer customers as wide a variety as possible and bring value to the content imported from other sources, according to Sarandos.
“We can’t make everything, but we can help you find just about anything,” he said. “Not just on the TV side, but we’re also proud to be able to bring movies like ‘Super Mario Brothers’ and ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ from our other suppliers. And I think that we bring a ton of value to them.”
The willingness to work with direct competitors like Max and Peacock shows how dedicated Netflix is to offering the most content possible, and how secure it feels in its place atop the streaming heap. With the largest streaming audience in the world by far, it’s hard to argue with that confidence at the moment.
Max
Max is a subscription video streaming service that gives access to the full HBO library, along with exclusive Max Originals. There are hubs for content from TLC, HGTV, Food Network, Discovery, TCM, Cartoon Network, Travel Channel, ID, and more. Watch hit series like “The Last of Us,” “House of the Dragon,” “Succession,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” and more. Thanks to the B/R Sports add-on, users can watch NBA, MLB, NHL, March Madness, and NASCAR events.