Times are changing, and Netflix is trying convert everyone from DVDs to streaming video.
Netflix launched a new section called Netflix Families Tuesday. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Netflix Families will be available to subscribers and non-members. Netflix usually sees a huge spike–a 30 percent increase–in their family programming in the summer months. According to Bloomberg’s Businessweek, Netflix Families contains rows of family-friendly content that will be great for vacations and keep kids busy.
According to ABC News, Netflix Families also features tutorials on video streaming, and it contains a variety of lists. One of those list is properly named “Are We There Yet”, which ABC said has programs that you can watch in airports like “Scooby-Doo”.
Everyone agrees that the main goal of Netflix Families to gain more subscriptions and more site traffic. Businessweek’s Cliff Edwards believes is adding more family content to pull away from the competition. Netflix announced Monday that it was partnering with DreamWorks Animation to provide original kids programming. According to ABC, the deal will include over 300 hours of video, including new movies and shows, and will begin in 2014.
However, one major road block stands in Netflix’s way of total domination of this sector: Amazon. According to Tech Crunch, Amazon boasts a strong lineup in Amazon Prime Instant Video. Amazon offers Spongebob, Dora the Explorer, Blue’s Clues, and other Viacom shows that Netflix does not have. In addition, Amazon is adding apps, games, and shows to its Kindle FreeTime. According to Tech Crunch, some of the notable newcomers added from Disney, Electronic Arts, and Warner Brothers are “Where’s my Mickey?”, “Tetris”, and “Lego Harry Potter: Years 1-4”.
Technology is constantly evolving, and companies like Blockbuster end up falling victims to change. DVDs and Blu-ray could be the next to fall. If video streaming continues to grow, then there may be less movie theaters. You rarely see a drive-in theater anymore. Soon, drive-ins could become extinct. The world awaits the changes in store for them, as technology’s latest rivalry intensifies.
