Netflix & Walmart: The Morning After

So, now that we've had some time to think about it, how do you feel about the Netflix & Walmart partnership?

I know some people really dislike Walmart for a variety of reasons, but do you dislike them enough to quit? Do you think this will help Netflix? Will it hurt their ability to work with Amazon? Will Walmart buy Netflix?

What do you think?

Comments

[Howard]

Although I will not shop at Walmart, I will continue to use Netflix. I have a feeling that after a year or two there will be minimal cross marketing. Netflix has pretty good name recognition and I doubt Walmart really needs that much more to push their wares.

[Evan]

I would rather it had been Amazon or Barnes & Noble. Everything you hear about Wal-Mart behind the scenes points to pure evil management.

Thinks its a splash and quick fade type of relationship more than anything.

[Darth Kittenpants]

I believe that this shows that not just anyone can throw down some money and create a profitable DVD by mail rental company. This is very bad news for those lessor known DVD rental companies. It appears as though this will be a dualoply with Net Flix and Blockbuster.

I am concerned that BlockBuster is offering Net Flix subscribers 2 free months and a DVD to cancel. Will this have a material impact on NFLX?

I do own stock in NFLX, but most of the reason I am partial to it, is because I intensly hate Blockbuster, who charged me excessive late fees when I needed the money the most--in college.

[roror]

"I am concerned that BlockBuster is offering Net Flix subscribers 2 free months and a DVD to cancel. Will this have a material impact on NFLX?"

I heard about that yesterday. To me it seems like pure meanness. So, finally it boils down to, we'll give you money if you quit our competitor, although, our service sucks.

[vn]

The morning after? Haha, are we talking about a one-night stand?

[marc]

vn-

I hope so...

and hopefully we won't hear in a few months that we caught anything from those dirty whores at Wal-Mart...

[Ben]

I do not like Wal-mart but this isn't really a partnership per se, it is more of a situation with one big company realizing it cannot make money doing something. It is a good move for Wal-mart and a neutral move for Netflix.

I had heard a rumor that Blockbuster was going to discontinue their mail DVD rental service. I hope they DON'T.

We don't need to go back to the days of a Netflix monopoly. It wasn't until Blockbuster and Wal-mart came into the market that Netflix really started to innovate and improve their service, not to mention lowering their prices. Competition is good.

[MS]

Am on hold with them to cancel right now. Wal-Mart is evil. They have made a deal with the devil. I guess it was only a matter of time. Have to stand by your principles.... and i guess this is a call to get off my principled butt and find an indepentently owned brick and mortar video store in my neighborhood.

SUPPORT YOUR INDEPENDENTLY OWNED EVERYTHING!!!!!!!!!!

Oh, and Blockbuster s*cks too.

[MikeC]

Though I don't care for WalMart, I think this partnership is a good thing for Netflix. When a powerhouse like WalMart admits that it can't do it, who did they turn to? Not the other "big dog", but the best at what they do - Netflix. I think it speaks volumes for Netflix. Now as long as they don't sell out to WalMart.

[CJT]

Absolutely intolerable. I'm cancelling because of this. I am seriously disgusted by Wal-Mart's polities toward its employees, particularly its female employees. I'm not going to toss my dearly held values about fair wages and working conditions for Americans so that I can get three DVDs per month. I'm gone.

[bors]

walmart sells nearly 1/3 of all DVDs
so Netflix will pick up good exposure
probably better then with Amazon.com.
i hope Netflix will get walmart brick and mortar
exposure as well.
also Netflix will put ads on the website
and on nflx envelopes for walmart dvd sales.
so overall this is a marketing coup for netflix.

[John]

I have long refused to shop at Wal-Mart. I heard the Netflix news yesterday and by 9:00pm last night I had joined Blockbuster.com's service.

To me, this is nothing more then a cross-promotional deal, which is basically advertising - I'm no fan of Wal-Mart, but I'm not going to stop watching TV networks/cable stations which carry ads for Wal-Mart, and I'm not going to cancel my Netflix subscription because of it.

As for the Blockbuster deal, it sounds like a great way for people to take advantage of Blockbuster - just quit Netflix and go to Blockbuster for the free period, then quit Blockbuster once the free period ends and return to Netflix. I'm not doing anything like that because I don't want to screw up my queues, but it seems like a good way to get free DVD rentals for a couple of months...

[jennhi]

I sat on the info for about 4 hours and then decided that there are things more important than Netflix -- cancelled my subscription with them and wrote a comprehensive email as to why. I wasn't mean about it, but they deserved to hear the truth, and hopefully enough people writing in and/or cancelling will convince them to change their minds about partnering with WalMart.

No one has to go to Blockbuster, either -- there are alternatives that look really good, like PeerFlix and GreenCine. I joined GreenCine right after canceling Netflix and am going to check out my library as well. It's about time I started supporting independent and local venues. Though none of those options were as comprehensive as Netflix, I was never interested in major releases anyway. It was my way of finally catching up on classics and seing some independent features.

I do credit Netflix for having movies like "Outfoxed" and "What the #$@&! Do We Know?" but after a year with Wal-Mart, where are those movies going to go? Will check with them in a year.

[Cosmo]

I'm not sure why people are geting bent out of shape here? Wal-Mart did not take over NetFlix. If anything NetFlix took Wal-Marts customers because Wal-Mart could not handle the online DVD rental business. NetFlix is coming out the winner in this deal, Wal-MArt is just cutting it's losses and trying to save face by turrning over it's customer base to NetFlix.

Just my 0.02

[L]

What's the point of ditching Netflix because of their Wal-Mart affiliation and then joining Blockbuster? Granted, Blockbuster hasn't been accused of the horrible things Wal-Mart does but if you're really concerned with the effects of big business, join GreenCine or another independent. Don't run to Blockbuster.

[Pinball Mars]

Just to reiterate even more what others have already said if you're concerned with supporting independents and still want the convenience of online DVD rentals, GREENCINE is the way to go. They're at http://www.greencine.com

They're a very reliable service. I've been a subscriber for a year now and enjoy it quite a bit. And if you like anime, independent film, or foreign films (some which you're probably into already if supporting independents is a priority of your's), Greencine's selection sets the standard.

Just be wary of one thing: From what I understand, shipping to the east coast can take anywhere from 3-5 days. I live in Texas and it consistently takes the post office 3 days each way for deliver to and from Greencine. For west coasters, this probably isn't too much of a concern.

What a bunch of retards on this board. Walmart didn't buy Netflix you morons nor did Walmart take over Netflix accounts.

You have a problem with the fact that about 50,000 Walmart customers are now Netflix customers? Is this the issue?

Jeez, talk about delusional morals being totally out of touch with reality.

[Mike S]

Partnership, my butt. This is just a business deal: Walmart quits the online rental business and points their orphans to Netflix in exchange for some advertising and a price deal. Netflix doesn't even get them automatically. It's essentially trading ad for ad. They may get Walmart's used discs as part of the deal. This is not a buyout. No one need worry about Walmart running Netflix. End of story.

When did Walmart buy Netflix?

[Christian]

The deal with Walmart does not affect my thoughts towards Netflix in any way. Its less a partnership than an advertising campaign. If anything people should proud that Netflix is willing to rescue the poor souls who were using Walmart's service. :)

[ken]

Who really cares about the partnership? Who cares about what company is offering what to make a switch? As comsumers we have the last say about what WE want. Does it mean really anything for the consumer about what they are doing? NO! As long as we can get good deals and good service when renting movies, I could care less which company I rent from?

[E]

The real story is Netflix and to a lesser extent Blockbuster just delivered the knockout punch to the number three player in the online rental business. Period, end of story. The cross promotion is a non-event.

[Cosmo]

Ken
Yeah...who cares if your cloths are made by child slave labor in South America or China. As long as the price is the cheepest and I'm geting the best deal who care about why the prices are so low or what the company is doing.
/Sarcasm Off

[Mike S.]

I'll stay with Netflix. I don't like Wal-Mart (although I respect their business model), but I think they saw this as a good way of getting out of a business that they don't understand. Blockbuster is still more evil than Wal-Mart IMHO.

Almost too much stupidity to respond to. You don't have to shop at walmart and buy "child slave labor" products just because you rent from Netflix. Like a few intelligent post have said; this is Walmart bowing out gracefully from the dvd rental business. There is no partnership only some ads that mostly benefit Netflix. This is a coup d'etat for Netflix. They have to be giddy that one of the two companies on their heals is now out of the business and advertising for Netflix in their stores. Walmart just couldn't hack it and so they decided to throw their support Netflix's way because Netflix does not sell dvds like Blockbuster does. Netflix probably doesn't want anything to do with Walmart but will put up a banner on their website if it will take out one of their two biggest competitors and get them to advertise for them in their stores. I personally think you're an idiot if you cancel netflix over this and an even bigger idiot if you sign up with Blockbuster after canceling netflix. Also having worked for Blockbuster I can say they're as evil if not more so than Walmart. They treat they're employees badly and deal very shadily with their customers.

Does this mean I can get "child labor" dvds now? I'll keep BB thank you very much. Cheaper, more dvds per month, no throttling, free coupons, etc, etc etc.

NF... more slow downs, higher prices, child labor!

Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

[Tony]

Just goes to show you how off-the-cuff, irrational, and reactionary so many "protesters" are these days. I'm all for sticking to your principals, but those who are quitting Netflix over this are either delusional, dense, or so trigger happy as to play the protest card at the first mention of Wal-Mart.

People...go back and read what's really happened. Now, read it again. Let it sink in. Good...

THERE IS NO PARTNERSHIP. There's a temporary cross promotion, as existing Wal-Mart customers scramble for a new service. Wal-Mart is leaving the DVD rental business, and are recommending Netflix in exchange for some cross promotion on the Netflix site. End of story.

If you're going to take your protests to such an extreme as to be upset by this, then you need to stop using *all* consumer products, including the computer you're reading this on.

[jennhi]

While it's true that WalMart didn't buy out Netflix, nor the other way around, it does involve Netflix customers in the WalMart business, which is something I can't do in good conscience. I don't care if WalMart isn't dictating to Netflix what they can or can't offer; the point is that either Netflix is giving money to WalMart or taking money from it. Or is it just a pretty on-paper deal where no exchange of money takes place? (unlikely) Or was it a one-time money exchange? (also unlikely) I just want to stay away from monopolies and bullies and stick with artsy-fartsy ivory tower politics. :)

[jennhi]

oh, and I'm gonna check out what my library has. Yay for local libraries! Support your local library!

Tony has pretty much nailed it. These people are so far away from reality that even when they will have a valid issue, nobody is going to take them seriously. They heard the word Walmart, and just went nuts over it.

The theory that somehow Walmart will dictate (or even cares) about censorship of the content on Netflix's website just shows what kind of people are we dealing with here.

If you have a fever, don't buy Tylenol from ANYONE. After all, Tylenol makers do business with Walmart (they sell it there). Same goes for pretty much everything that you buy from anywhere.

[manuel]

"I do own stock in NFLX, but most of the reason I am partial to it, is because I intensly hate Blockbuster, who charged me excessive late fees when I needed the money the most--in college."

Will the emotional scars ever heal?

Lets imagine Walmart doesn't exist tomorrow. Lets just shut it down today. Lets see what those 1.2 million employees (that's correct, Walmart employs that many people) feel like on Monday. And thats not even counting 2-3 million people employed by Walmart's suppliers here in the US.

Its not a perfect world, and Walmart definitely needs to improve the conditions of its own employees and workers of companies it buys from. But to go crazy over this is nuts.

"Will the emotional scars ever heal" - manuel

Why are you so worried about scars that others have from Blockbuster manuel? Blockbuster didn't offer you a job at one of their distribution centers did it?

[LBJ Strickland]

Really sad to see a competitor die. It just means Netflix has to do less to gain and keep customers.

[trey]

manuel, the bbi fanboi once again. hey manuel, can I join your fanboi club pleeeeeeeeeeeaaaaasssssseeeeeeeee?

[Mike C.]

Wow, look at everyone get bent out of shape. Too funny. I think I may make a special trip to Walmart and buy a couple things just to be different.

[Alan]

I think the people rationalizing this deal with Walmart as irrlevent ot Walmarts atrocious record, and belittling the extremely bad reputation Walmart has are out of touch.

Teaming with Walmart is a real serious problem. This company has one of THE worst reputations in country.

Walmart destroys communities. It destroys competition in a way the maligned blockbuster never could. It has been subject to many many times more lawsuits, and investigations by attornies genreal than the much ballyhooed blockbuster late fee investigation. Walmart has put millions of Americans out of work. Its labor practices are dispicable.

Netflix to me was a breath of fresh air against blockbusters takover of the rental business. They have just proved themselves 100 times worse.

More destrubingly I see a pattern developing on hackingnetflix. Genuine customers express a concern and sincere reaction. I think a lot of poeple will bolt. (my own city just unanimously rejected an attempt to bring a walmatt.)

Yet then after the majority of posts criticizing the deal we see genuine hackingnetflix comments being followed by the "netflix hacks" comments deriding them. I think this is one or two users posing as several (the diction is similar). My feeling is that this is one or two petty investors who lost a lot of money on NTFX and feel they should spend a lot of time here trying too spin against any genuine criticsm.

Anyway, Blockbuster just got my business. I signed up today, and for a very good deal.