A backlash against the Netflix backlash

This video streaming thing is getting really messy.

In the past week Netflix set the television networks on notice – original content doesn’t just belong to you because we’re going down that road, even if it is going to cost us $100 million to do so.

I am of course talking about the announcement that Netflix was sinking $100 million into creating an original content series based on the British drama called House of Cards. In the days following the announcement though it seems that the networks are more than a little upset by this news and have started pulling shows from Netflix.

This action was lead by Showtime who said that they will no longer be providing the older seasons of Dexter and Californication from streaming on Netflix. shortly after cable network Starz announced that they will be delaying the streaming of Camelot episodes by 90 days; and is tossing around the possibility of withholding other movies from Netflix streaming.

There is no doubt that Netflix entry into streaming original content can be seen as a threat to the networks and a real game-changer. It is also obvious that this move by Netflix is causing real concern for the established networks, a concern that is making them rethink their agreements with the company and signs of a possible backlash against Netflix.

As Jared Newman at Technologizer points out this is going to get ugly:

Still, House of Cards is no panacea. Netflix still needs great content from other sources for its streaming service to grow, but Netflix’s growth is what makes Hollywood so nervous in the first place. This is going to get ugly.

Yes, this is going to get ugly but those same networks maybe missing out on a rather important point – the consumer.

While this whole streaming video is still pretty new, especially when it comes to companies like Netflix getting into original content, the consumer is climbing on the bandwagon in a big way. We are fed up with cable companies, television networks, and the Internet providers who are increasing their ownership in those areas, trying to dictate the extent of what we can watch online.

So while we might be worried about an entertainment industries backlash against things like Netflix I believe we are reaching a point where there will be a backlash against those very companies by the consumer. I am not sure how this backlash will happen or how it will look but you can be sure that like Jared says – it’s only started to get ugly.