According the NYT, there is a shift away from network-based television programming in favor of internet-based outlets. The internet is “the new front in the war for Americans’ attention spans.”
The companies are, in effect, creating new networks for television through broadband pipes and also giving rise to new rivalries — among one another, as between Amazon and Netflix, and with the big but vulnerable broadcast networks as well.
“House of Cards”, a Netflix drama series I watched in one day thanks to John Nolte, is one example of this shift. (Have you watched “House of Cards”? Fabulous.) The series was released in it’s entirety on Netflix and by all measures was a success. Netflix has another series set to premiere in April called “Hemlock Grove.”
And Amazon is hot on Netflix’ trail. The Times reports that Amazon has at least six comedies and five children’s shows in their hopper.
All of this is good news, as it fosters competition which benefits the consumer with more options for entertainment. I would like to see the same developments along the information front, with more news or investigative journalism type shows on the internet.