Inside Music MediaJerry Del Colliano

Did you see that Netflix wants to make new blockbuster movie releases available on opening night the same time they debut in theaters?

And they will – bet on it.

I don’t care how local theater owners complain – this ship has sailed and Netflix will coax some one big producer into doing a simultaneous debut in theaters and on Netflix and the other lemmings will rush to be next.

It doesn’t matter whether you run a radio station, cable network, newspaper or TV network, Netflix is your worst nightmare.

And, if you’re savvy – your best inspiration.

Ironically, people who run these traditional media businesses don’t really believe that Netflix is the competitor they should be focusing on.

TV Networks think it’s Barry Diller’s Aereo because, they think streaming lousy local television channels to mobile devices is the next big thing.

Their egos are the next big thing – as usual.

Radio always thought satellite radio was their competitor and now they are obsessed with Pandora.

Wrong on both accounts.

Satellite radio is only commercial radio for old people with money with a concession to some music stations that are commercial free.

And Pandora is what has replaced radio while Mary Beth Garber is out telling everyone radio cannot be replaced.

Newspapers think the Internet did them in.

They did themselves in long ago when television started competing with newspapers for news and entertainment and they refused to change.

So I’m not going to be surprised to see the threat of Netflix being ignored this time.

Netflix is a disruptor on the scale of Apple and Google.

In one year, they went from being the biggest snail mail movie and program rental site to the largest online video store.

But how can a video service be the next threat to radio, TV and newspapers? 

They’re in different businesses.

It’s complicated but certain.