Netflix runs into a couple of problems in expanding globally, facing issues in making agreements with TV and movie studios to license content.
During the UBS Media Conference in New York on Monday, Ted Sarandos, Netflix chief content officer, says that it "has not been an easy road" to buy the networks' global rights for the streaming service.
According to Sarandos, Netflix is dealing with "some resistance" mostly from the regional sales staff who "don't want their jobs marginalized." The company is focusing on global expansion to deliver both original series and reruns without difficulty in its current areas and territories it could acquire in the future.
The content officer says that Netflix has already moved into Spain, Italy, Japan and Australia in 2015, which means that the company is already on its way toward its goal.
Nielsen has given estimates of Netflix's performance, but Sarandos says that the tools that the information and measurement company used weren't able to capture all the viewings.
Netflix has released a ton of heavy hitters this year, and the company is going to continue doing so in the next year, aiming to go from 16 scripted shows to 31. On top of those, Netflix also has 10 films in production, where some are about to be released. It also has 30 kids shows, 10 stand-up specials and about 12 documentaries.
Some notable titles on Netflix are Aziz Ansari's "Master of None," Marvel-derived "Daredevil" and "Jessica Jones" and "A Very Murray Christmas," which ranked as one of the top 10 shows in Japan.
The company, however, has no plans to get into sports, saying that the leagues have the final say when it comes to pricing in that area.
"If there was a model where we create our own sports league, that would be interesting. But it's not really what we're chasing," Sarandos says.
By the end of 2016, the company hopes to be able to offer its services on a global scale. It would be great to see Netflix successfully expand internationally, and it would be excellent to see it produce even more shows and movies.
