With 'House of Cards,' Netflix Delivers Entire TV Season
In the battle for monthly streaming subscribers, the latest weapon is exclusive content. Hulu is launching several new shows under its own brand and Netflix is in the process of doing the same. The Netflix twist: you get the whole season in one go. Today, ‘House of Cards’ launched with not one, but all 13 episodes available to all Netflix subscribers. If you’re not a Netflix user, you can watch the first episode free, but you’ll need to sign up for a paid Netflix account to see what Kevin Spacey’s up to next.
Dropping an entire season into its subscription service is a big bet: we’re used to anticipating one episode each week. And, conceivably, people could sign up for a Netflix account just long enough to watch the season. But there’s a lot to be said for being able to watch a season at whatever pace fits your schedule. And, for many people who watch full seasons of older TV shows on Netflix, the format isn’t really new.
‘House of Cards’ is a political drama that stars Kevin Spacey, Robin Wright, and Kate Mara. The show’s angle is familiar (an exploration of the darker side of American politics), but if the first episode is any indication, ‘House of Cards’ is going to get a lot of attention for its fast-paced dialogue.
Netflix bills 'House of Cards' as "Bad, for the greater good." Image credit: Netflix
Dropping an entire season into its subscription service is a big bet: we’re used to anticipating one episode each week. And, conceivably, people could sign up for a Netflix account just long enough to watch the season. But there’s a lot to be said for being able to watch a season at whatever pace fits your schedule. And, for many people who watch full seasons of older TV shows on Netflix, the format isn’t really new.
‘House of Cards’ is a political drama that stars Kevin Spacey, Robin Wright, and Kate Mara. The show’s angle is familiar (an exploration of the darker side of American politics), but if the first episode is any indication, ‘House of Cards’ is going to get a lot of attention for its fast-paced dialogue.
