Netflix's House of Cards a Stellar Move

Yes, some in the Conversation Circle did binge-watch House of Cards. However, we don't think releasing all 13 episodes was a big gamble for Netflix as some in the media have questioned. Mainly because HOC was a gripping miniseries when it ran on PBS in the 1980s. Having great material to work with, excellent writers, direction and a stellar cast takes some of the risk out of the equation.

It is/was possible that viewers would watch all 13 episodes then cancel their subscription. However, Netflix's possible calculation that binge-watching HOC would become a social and media event was right. As the CC noted in another posting we first learned about HOC and the "drop" on Facebook.

While we in the CC watch AMC's Mad Men and HBO's Boardwalk Empire waiting for the next episode does get tedious. Interestingly, one CC member has Netcast on their big screen TV and had access to Netflix for nearly three years and never tried it until HOC was released.  Having watched all 13 episodes that member is now watching the original HOC on Netflix and has no plans to cancel the subscription.

We think Netflix's calculated decision demonstrated that they are in tune with the changing viewing habits of the public. In not spoon-feeding HOC, Netflix created buzz, drove traffic to its site, probably gained new subscribers and helped its overall brand.