Moneycontrol News
With the advent of the internet and smartphones came numerous avenues to release and consume content, apart from conventional sources like the television. Netflix is the biggest player in the internet entertainment industry and its appeal lay in the fact that users could watch TV shows uninterrupted. However, this is about to change.
Netflix has recently rolled out the service of advertisements between episodes of various shows for select users. The advertisements will only be of other shows streaming on Netflix.
The company said in a statement that it is testing whether this feature will help people discover more content they would like. “A few years ago, we introduced video previews to the TV experience because we saw that it significantly cut the time members spend browsing and helped them find something they would enjoy much faster,” it added.
While it is unclear how long this testing will last, the company confirmed that this feature would only be for a segment of its users.
Netflix essentially popularised the phrase ‘binge-watching’, which allowed users to watch dozens of episodes of their favourite shows without any meddlesome commercials.
Another feature which made it stand out from the conventional content consuming platforms has been taken out. On the web version of Netflix, users could leave written reviews of shows and movies. The company removed this feature, along with all user reviews ever left on the website.
Many changes have been observed in the way Netflix lets users rate the content. Until 2017, Netflix let its users rate their shows on the scale of one to five stars. However, now users can only give a binary thumbs up or down.
Some of these new features are making Netflix a traditional TV experience, rather than what it had posed to be in the beginning.
These moves shouldn’t be surprising as Netflix is increasing its in-house content every day, according to a report. After the initial Netflix Original shows fared well, it has transformed from a streaming service to a production company.
Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
