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This excerpt taken from the NFLX 10-K filed Mar 16, 2006. If we are unable to compete effectively, our business will be affected adversely.
The market for in-home filmed entertainment is intensely competitive and subject to rapid change. New technologies for delivery of in-home filmed entertainment, such as VOD and downloading over the Internet, continue to receive considerable media attention. Many of our competitors have longer operating histories, larger customer bases, greater brand recognition and significantly greater financial, marketing and other resources than we do. The rapid growth of our online entertainment subscription business since our inception may continue to attract direct competition from larger companies with significantly greater financial resources and national brand recognition. For example, we have seen the entry of direct competition from Blockbuster, which launched its online service in August 2004, and could face competition from potential new entrants into the online DVD rental market. If we are unable to successfully or profitably compete with current and new competitors, our business will be adversely affected, and we may not be able to increase or maintain market share, revenues or profitability.
In addition, many consumers maintain simultaneous relationships with multiple in-home filmed entertainment providers and can easily shift spending from one provider to another. For example, consumers may subscribe to HBO, rent a DVD from Blockbuster, buy a DVD from Wal-Mart and subscribe to Netflix, or some
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Table of Contentscombination thereof, all in the same month. New competitors may be able to launch new businesses at relatively low cost. DVDs represent only one of many existing and potential new technologies for viewing filmed entertainment. In addition, the growth in adoption of DVD technology is not mutually exclusive from the growth of other technologies. If we are unable to successfully compete with current and new competitors and technologies, we may not be able to achieve adequate market share, increase our revenues or maintain profitability. Our principal competitors include, or could include:
Some of our competitors have adopted, and may continue to adopt, aggressive pricing policies and devote substantially more resources to marketing and Web site and systems development than we do. There can be no assurance that we will be able to compete effectively against current or new competitors at our existing pricing levels or at even lower price points in the future. Furthermore, we may need to adjust the level of service provided to our subscribers and/or incur significantly higher marketing expenditures than we currently anticipate. As a result of increased competition, we have seen and may continue to see a reduction in operating margins and market share.
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