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Movies Television United States Entertainment

Netflix Becomes First Streaming Company To Join the MPAA (hollywoodreporter.com) 139

Posted by BeauHD from the welcome-to-the-club dept.
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Hollywood Reporter: Netflix has joined the membership ranks of the Motion Picture Association of America alongside the six major Hollywood studios, the top lobbying group said Tuesday, The unprecedented move -- coming on the same day that the streamer landed its first Oscar nomination for best picture -- was endorsed by Disney, Fox, Paramount, Sony, Universal and Warner Bros. It is the first time in history that a non-studio has been granted entry. It also is a defining moment for MPAA chairman-CEO Charles Rivkin 18 months into his tenure. The Netflix-MPAA union coincides with the streamer becoming a card-carrying member of the Oscar race after securing an unprecedented 15 nominations on Tuesday morning. Netflix CEO Reed Hastings and Sarandos are intent on upping the company's profile as a legitimate force in the movie business, and joining the MPAA will further that goal. Additionally, once Fox is merged with Disney, the MPAA will have one less member, meaning a loss of as much as $10 million to $12 million in annual dues. Sources say the MPAA is courting other new members as well (Amazon could be a candidate). Prior to joining the MPAA, Netflix "departed from the Internet Association -- a major industry trade group representing tech companies including Google, Amazon, and Facebook," Engadget notes. "Netflix had been a member of the internet association since 2013."
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Netflix Becomes First Streaming Company To Join the MPAA More

Netflix Becomes First Streaming Company To Join the MPAA

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  • HAHAHAHAHAHAHA (Score:1)

    by Anonymous Coward

    New boss. Just like the old boss.

    Streaming companies are going to be just as bad or worse as cord based ones. All you cutters have done is been lured in my drug dealer procedures of "my shit is cheaper, better and I care about my clients"

    • Re:HAHAHAHAHAHAHA (Score:5, Insightful)

      by stealth_finger ( 1809752 ) on Wednesday January 23, 2019 @09:39AM (#58007336)
      What's that line about dying a hero or living long enough to see yourself become the villain?

    • Once they become as unusable as the old services, we'll simply see the next batch emerge. In capitalism, what's outdated will be crushed by new technology that replaces it. Why do you hate capitalism?

      • Once they become as unusable as the old services, we'll simply see the next batch emerge. In capitalism, what's outdated will be crushed by new technology that replaces it. Why do you hate capitalism?

        Yes, that's how capitalism is supposed to work. Unfortunately that's no longer how it is in the US. Once a company gets to a certain size, the rules change. They can buy politicians and get them to put forth bills that were written by the company. Or tack them on to other bills. If we had true capitalism, then "to big to fail" would not be an issue.

  • Because I would close it.

    I'm sure that 99.999â+ of their users never even heard of the MPAA, though, so I expect this to have no real consequences for them.

    • But they know who you are regardless. They will trace your IP, they will know the time you used it, they will compare it to the data they have of the area, and suddenly they know exactly who you are.

      • Re: (Score:1)

        by Anonymous Coward

        But...but...people on /. assure me that IP is not personally identifiable for purposes of the GDPR. Is someone lying to me?!

    • Because I would close it.

      I'm sure that 99.999â+ of their users never even heard of the MPAA, though, so I expect this to have no real consequences for them.

      I just cancelled my subscription. I could (sort of) understand a price hike but this is the last straw. The programming quality of Netflix has gone downhill anyhow. I just streamed the first episode of the new season of The Punisher and it sucked ass. It's totally not worth the 10.99 or whatever it is going to go up to. I've seen better programming on Sony Crackle and I don't have to pay them a dime. All I have to do is watch an occasional shitty commercial that never lasts that long and the programming com

      • The last time I used Crackle, the selection was not even 1/100 of what Netflix Canada has in their library. And I only saw three different ads, in blocks of two ads at a time, five times during the movie. I think ads are annoying, but seeing the same ad two times in a row is even more annoying.

  • Conflicting Interests (Score:2, Interesting)

    by Anonymous Coward

    Prior to joining the MPAA, Netflix "departed from the Internet Association -- a major industry trade group representing tech companies including Google, Amazon, and Facebook," Engadget notes. "Netflix had been a member of the internet association since 2013."

    So how many ways exactly are the interests and philosophies of those associations conflicting?

  • Not a studio? (Score:5, Informative)

    by Nidi62 ( 1525137 ) on Wednesday January 23, 2019 @09:25AM (#58007274)

    It is the first time in history that a non-studio has been granted entry.

    According to Wikipedia, Netflix has created well over 300 programs/series (stopped counting at 300 and still had a ways to go) and over 200 films. Tell me again how they aren't a studio at this point?

    • Re:Not a studio? (Score:5, Informative)

      by GrumpySteen ( 1250194 ) on Wednesday January 23, 2019 @09:58AM (#58007412)

      Well, for one thing, they actually hired third party studios to make those shows and movies for them. They did purchase ABQ Studios at the end of last year, which is probably a big part of why they joined the MPAA at this point.

      • Re: (Score:1)

        by Anonymous Coward

        You make it sound like other big boys doesn't have smaller independent boutique production houses make movies and shows for them. Netflix bids on exact same movies and tv shows other studios do.

        • The larger studios contracting out work to smaller studios has nothing to do with whether or not Netflix is a production studio.

          Until Netflix bought ABQ studios, they had no production facilities and were not a production studio.

          • Re: (Score:2)

            by Nidi62 ( 1525137 )

            Until Netflix bought ABQ studios, they had no production facilities and were not a production studio.

            Frontier Airlines only owns 5 of the roughly 60 aircraft in their fleet. If it weren't for those 5, would you argue that they aren't an airline because they don't own any planes?

            • Re: (Score:2)

              by amorsen ( 7485 )

              If they hire the planes with crew and everything, they are not an airline, they're a travel company. If they have their own crew or outsource it to a different company than the planes, they are an airline.

              Similarly, if Netflix rents a studio without staff and brings their own people to start producing movies, they are a production studio. If they hire the whole studio including staff, they are not.

          • If they own a studio, doesn't that make them a studio? Hence they're no longer a "non-studio"

      • Well, for one thing, they actually hired third party studios to make those shows and movies for them.

        Isn't that a key element of Hollywood Accounting? Even if it really is in house, its always some "separate" "third party" studio that they "pay" for the work in order to make the venture seem unprofitable.

    • I believe "studio" in this context = submits to the demands of the myriad guilds and unions which have a near-monopoly on employment in this industry. What we're seeing is the balkanization of the industry, driven by the ability of anyone with a cell phone now being able to create "movies" and distribute them via YouTube. Those people aren't going to check to make sure everyone performing in their video clip is a member of the Screen Actor's Guild, or that they're a member of the Director's Guild. That b

      • What we're seeing is the balkanization of the industry, driven by the ability of anyone with a cell phone now being able to create "movies" and distribute them via YouTube.

        And almost nobody cares about those "movies." They don't have anywhere close to the same impact that the studios have.

    • You are correct.

  • The MPAA has been big in trying to crack down on Piracy (Which is not a popular within the Slashdot and the Free Software crowd). However with Netflix as a Member, this means there is streaming service who seems to be on the same side. Giving credence to Netflix and Streaming services as an acceptable distribution method for movies.
    Now this isn't 2009 where a lot of companies are afraid to to license with Netflix to show their movies. If you remember Netflix streaming back then, even full TV shows had the p

    • Good. Can Netflix finally add Seinfeld and The Simpsons in Canada, please?

    • Greedy bastards who had to be dragged into streaming with somebody else doing all the work and risk. Now they all want to have their own rip off using whatever employees they snipe from Netflix while trying to demand Netflix rape their customers on their behalf. Forcing Netflix to become one of them as the content was taken from them now they have the same pressures, shareholders etc. as they lose good staff.

      Maybe if there was a non-profit in charge of the gateway to their content... one which wasn't totall

    • All the other MPAA members have their own streaming service.

      Many of them used to let Netflix buy their content. Now they keep it for themselves, to entice people to pay for their streaming services. Disney is the worst one. Others like HBO do it too.

  • Now NetFlix can justify putting previews before ALL of their movie content, just like the MPAA folks do in the theaters and rentals. "They others do it, why can't we?"

    • Because people know how to fast forward.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by vakuona ( 788200 )

      I am probably weird, but I actually want to see previews when I go to the theatre, and sometimes miss watching previews on VCR.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by djinn6 ( 1868030 )

      That's completely pointless. I already arrive at the theater a few minutes late to avoid the previews. At home it's even easier. My speaker has a mute button and my browser supports multiple tabs.

  • I am going to cancel my subscription now. I cannot, in good faith, give money to a company that openly supports the MPAA mafia. Good bye, Netflix. It was fun while it lasted.

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by Anonymous Coward

      So you were peefectly fine with them paying hundreds of millions of dollars to MPAA members for content but joining the MPAA was too much? lol okay...

    • I did back when their DVD mailings started to take over a week and the streaming catalog was collapsing. Zero regrets - I turn on my mind with democratic content, not off with the hierarchy's programming.

      It's 2019 - smart people should be watching ElectroBoom, not Stranger Things.

    • I think you're lying.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by syn3rg ( 530741 )
      I think you mean the MAFIAA [mafiaa.org]

  • So which role will Netflix play. I know which one will get me to keep subscribing... (yeah, I know they don't have that kind of control but they are, I think, the biggest streaming service, which wields a fair bit of power)

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by Desler ( 1608317 )

      Neither. They'll simply be out for themselves just like they always have done.

      This is like the Slashdork deification of Google. Neither Netflix nor Google gives a shit about you and they never have. It's always been about crafting an image to make as much money as they could.

  • Kiss the Don's hand, be nice to the Consigliere, don't show around your comáre and never talk to the cops or you can fuggedaboutit.

  • Rot in Hell (Score:1)

    by Anonymous Coward

    The MPAA can rot in hell. That organization is the antithesis of customer friendly. I personally don't have a care for the Oscars. I don't need someone else telling me what and who are good. I can make those decisions myself.

    Captcha - irately

  • Duuun Duuun Duuun, dun da dun, dun da dun [youtube.com]

    I for one do not welcome our new copyright maximalist, DRM-pushing overlords.

  • Imagine a world where Comcast users could get to some web sites, and AT&T users could see different web sites, and Verizon customers could see yet different web sites. That was the online world of the 1990s, only the players were AOL, Product, and Compuserve. That is the world of the future if we continue to allow content providers and content deliverers to merge. What broke that triad was the Internet: an open system where everyone could access anything.

    But even in THAT era, almost all television pr

  • What?
    How is Netflix not a studio? They make their own movies and TV shows.

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