In just the first two months of 2018, Netflix released stellar first season scripted originals like Altered Carbon, captivating unscripted shows like Queer Eye, hilarious stand-up specials, fun kids' shows and much more. And we pity whoever thinks the streaming giant will suddenly change its tactics by sparsely parceling out new projects across the rest of the year. No, Netflix aims to give customers one of the biggest years in original programming for any media entity by releasing around 700 TV shows and films in 2018. Quite the intimidating binge-watch.
Netflix CFO David Wells spoke at the Morgan Stanley Technology, Media & Telecom Conference on Tuesday (via Variety), where he shared the company's lofty goals for its annual output. This year alone, Netflix is planning to spend somewhere around $8 billion on licensing and producing original content, but will that be enough money to pay for 700 shows and movies? Probably so, especially if Netflix refrains from habitually entering into high-dollar deals with noteworthy creators, presumably for shows that will also require a truck full of money bags.
Par for the course, Netflix isn't going to spend all that money creating 700 different independently handled U.S.-originated projects. As the company's global growth continues without any sign of halting, Netflix's execs have also broadened the number of countries they're working with to develop and license programming that, without Netflix's involvement, would otherwise go unseen by everyone else around the world. According to David Wells, around 80 of those 700 shows and films will be internationally produced, with the critical and viewer acclaim of Germany's Dark and the co-produced U.K. dark comedy The End of the F***ing World, among others, serving as guiding lights of confidence.
Here is Wells' expertly presented viewpoint on seeking out content.
People don't care where the stories come from. We're about having the best content. We don't necessarily have to do it ourselves.
This is all a money and power game, of course, since Netflix aims to build on its dominating force by finding ways to reach and spark interest in anyone with a broadband service. But the company understands that it won't keep attracting new customers with stale and uninspired content, so we'll hopefully keep getting the best of the best through the rest of the year.
We're about a sixth of the way through 2018 so far, so Netflix only has ten months to put out another 580 or so TV shows and movies. And as viewers, we will somehow have to make the time to watch them all. Check out what's coming soon with our 2018 Netflix premiere schedule, and then head to our midseason premiere schedule to see what's on the way in the near future.
