Yes, I’m serious.  One of the most popular companies today is starting to show some serious troubling signs, similar to Blockbuster.  A couple of trends and recent articles that lead to my concerns:

–Netflix’s Global Growth Faces New Threats

–Here’s why Hulu could overtake Netflix and Amazon in the streaming war

–Netflix’s tepid U.S. growth weighs on its stock

–Nielsen to Use Facebook and Twitter in New Ratings System

More competition, check

Declining stock value, check

No value to advertisers, check

Lack of data sharing in a data-driven world, check

All these signs are pointing in the wrong direction for Netflix.  Yes, they still have 75M subscribers, award winning original programs, and created the Oxford Dictionary term, Binge Watching.  But, they don’t play nice with their competitors, don’t share data, and don’t accept traditional advertising dollars. It’s simple, for Netflix to increase profit they need subscriber growth.  But in reality, Netflix’s subscribers are slowing, competition for streaming content and consumers are growing, and they continue to frustrate the people with money.  

Don’t get me wrong, I like Netflix.  They have some great original shows (House of Cards, Making of a Murder, Narcos etc), family friendly content and make it accessible to anyone/anywhere.  But they have some major flaws as well, their UX is terrible and premium movie selection is well below average.  

As companies continue to focus on Millennials, cord-cutting continues to grow and monthly services surge, how many different streaming options are consumers willing to pay for?  

Also, is it too hard to ask what the most binged shows were during the snow storm?  Narcos anyone?