Netflix CEO Reed Hastings has placed a timeline on the transition from traditional pay TV avenues (coaxial, satellite) to full Internet viewing: 10-20 years. The CEO made the prediction recently when talking about the future of TV with CNBC. Hastings was quick to note that while cord cutting is a minor phenomenon today, the trend away from traditional services toward more flexible (and cheaper) viewing options is pretty obvious to nearly everybody but cable industry executives.
"There are a few people that have cut the cord, but it is very, very small still today," Hastings admitted. "But it's a worry about the long term."
Generally speaking, Satellite and phone companies just saw the worst quarter ever in terms of subscriber losses, while Netflix sallies forth with its plan to deliver its streaming video service to 200 countries by the end of 2015.
Hastings predicted that within ten to twenty years, all traditional TV content will be delivered over the Internet -- even the holy grail that is currently sports programming. "All the current linear networks will go to on-demand," Hastings predicted.
Hastings also was quick to highlight the fact that Netflix's flexibility is what's setting it apart from traditional cable and broadcast companies right now, resulting in an unprecedented growth spike (Netflx added 3.3 million new subscribers last quarter alone).
"We are just a learning machine," claims Hastings. "Every time we put out a new show we are analyzing it, figuring out what worked and what didn't so we get better next time"
Source: http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Netflix-CEO-All-TV-Will-be-Internet-Based-in-1020-Years-135181