Netflix eyes more original content

Online video service Netflix is looking to launch more original content following its deal to acquire David Fincher’s political drama House of Cards.

The video platform, which currently operates in the United States and Canada, is eyeing two to three more exclusive series.

Reed Hastings, chief executive of Netflix, said: “Our theory is that with serialized content, we may be able to build an audience very effectively because with on-demand, you can get back to the first episode as momentum around the series builds. I don’t know if it’s anything that we’d bet the farm on but we’re certainly willing to try it with a small percent of the budget in House of Cards and then two or three other smaller ones that we would look for. And if we’re successful with it then we would expand our circle of confidence a little bit more. So we’ll take it step by step, year by year.”

The company has also claimed that it has licensed House of Cards, which is produced by Media Rights Capital and stars Kevin Spacey, in a number of international territories. “House of Cards doesn’t start until the fall of next year so it’ll be a couple of years before we are faced with those decisions [of licensing it to a traditional US broadcaster] and we’ve licensed it for multiple territories,” Hastings added.