Netflix has been the movie and TV streaming service to beat for years, but the company continues to explore potential avenues for expansion. Bloomberg reports that Netflix has been offering to partner with cable companies for two years, but has yet to make much headway. Two European cable companies, Virgin Media in the U.K. and Com Hem AB in Sweden, have both decided to include Netflix as an app on TiVo set-top boxes, but U.S. companies have yet to accept the partnership.
“We would love to reduce the friction to the end consumer, and to be available via the existing device in the home, which is the set-top box,” Netflix CFO David Wells said.
Netflix is now available through nearly every electronic device with internet access in consumers’ home, including video game consoles, smartphones, tablets, and even smart TVs. As Bloomberg notes, it’s up to the providers to change their attitude on Netflix as competition and instead to embrace the modern medium. Until then, there won’t be much stopping subscribers from cutting the cord.
