Netflix Wants You Off The Couch By: Breana Blackman
Netflix and chill will soon be Netflix and Thrill! Netflix announced last week that it plans to open two retail locations. Netflix isn’t looking to sell DVDs but wants to bring in consumers in a more interesting and catchy way. Bloomberg has reported that Netflix is working on “Houses” where fans can eat, drink, and shop at stores based on its most popular series. It sounds like Netflix is hopping into its Dave And Busters era.
This news is shocking, as Netflix shut down its DVD service just two weeks ago, but it makes sense. Disney and Universal have gone down this route, so why can’t Netflix? Disney does have a lot of original content to sustain a “world and land.” So, that begs the question of how Netflix will pull this off. Stranger Things is not exactly on the same level as Star Wars.
Netflix has already dived into popups for series one-offs such as The Stranger Things Experience, a pop-up shop in Times Square, NY. Netflix wants a permanent house for this and is looking to open up two permanent locations by 2025. No exact cities have been stated, but my best bet is California will be a part of the duo. Hollywood and a NYC location if I had to put money on it.
What surprises me is that Bloomberg reports that Netflix is looking at the new venture as a marketing tool rather than a source of income. Netflix cracked down on password sharing earlier this year, and it turned out to be a good move for them as new subscribers skyrocketed upon the crackdown. Wouldn’t the password crackdown be a way to combat lost revenue? Running a streaming service isn’t a walk in the park, and earning rights to media is more money than some of you or I may ever see. I think Netflix is trying to get some money besides subscriptions but doesn’t want to admit it. Netflix can’t keep hiking the monthly rate. This is a great market for them to interact with the subscribers.
Netflix Houses makes perfect sense, and this could be the next big thing with the right moves. Aside from interactive experiences, Netflix can host full-on watch parties and turn the space into a subscriber theater. Netflix Houses can shift the gears for Hulu, Peacock, and Max. I’m thrilled and excited, and I can’t wait to see where Netflix decides to house its next venture.