Today in 1908, Alan Archibald Campbell-Swinton published a letter in the journal Nature titled “Distant Electric Vision” in which he envisioned television as it was developed three decades later.
Campbell described the theoretical basis for an all-electronic method of producing television and predicted: “Possibly no photoelectric phenomenon at present known will provide what is required in this respect, but should something suitable be discovered, distant electric vision will, I think, come within the region of possibility.”
In May 2013, Netflix stated its view on the future of television: “Over the coming decades and across the world, Internet TV will replace linear TV. Apps will replace channels, remote controls will disappear, and screens will proliferate. As Internet TV grows from millions to billions, Netflix, HBO, and ESPN are leading the way.”
In the first quarter of 2023, Netflix had 235 million subscribers in close to 200 countries worldwide. Lucas Shaw explains the recent shift in Netflix international content strategy:
In the early days of its international expansion, Netflix talked a lot about TV shows that were “local for global”… Netflix made shows in a local language that still appealed to its broader audience. But in the last couple years, Netflix has changed its strategy to focus on local for local. The company wants to produce shows that are big hits in local markets… This shift at Netflix underscores a new phase in the evolution of streaming. The company isn’t just trying to be the largest TV network in the world; it’s trying to be the most popular TV network in every single country.