Netflix has outlined exactly where it thinks the future of television is going – and it's going to be all about the apps.
"Over the coming decades and across the world, internet TV will replace linear TV. Apps will replace channels, remote controls will disappear, and screens will proliferate," said Netflix CEO Reed Hastings in the company's Long Term View release.
It's not the most insane prediction made – there's no denying that we're living in an age where on-demand services are expected more and more. And Netflix, which recently announced its 'family plan', sees itself as a huge driving force in this transition.
The times they are a-changin'
"Twenty years ago, the mobile phone was quite large, expensive, limited to voice communication, suffered static and was trivial to eavesdrop on," continued the CEO.
"It was hard then to imagine that by now, there would be 6 billion active mobile phones in the world, central to so many of our lives.
"We see a parallel in the rise and intertwined improvement of Internet TV apps, broadband, and devices over the next 20 years."
Unsurprisingly much of the 11-page document consists of Netflix blowing its own trumpet, but the streaming service does acknowledge the growing competition of the likes of HBO and ESPN:
"It wouldn't be surprising to us if HBO does their best work and achieves their highest growth over the next decade, spurred on by the Netflix competition and the Internet TV opportunity."
However, Reed said that Netflix "can't" compete with services like Sky, Microsoft and Apple, and instead needs to focus on being a "passion brand". Whatever that means.
Via The Appside
