Another Netflix competitor is set to dive into the waters. Vdio, from the founders of Skype is soon to premiere in the UK, but with the company based in the US it’s just a matter of time before it crosses the Atlantic. Can Vdio compete with Netflix? Will it offer programming that will lure subscribers away?
GigaOm was the first to break the news on a mysterious new streaming service that seems to have come out of the woodwork. The Vdio website went live promising it was coming soon to the UK and featuring images from shows like Mad Men and The Tudors, and movies like The Dark Knight. Pretty big promises, especially considering Netflix already has the rights to stream Mad Men in the US. But with Netflix floundering after the colossal screw up with rate increases and the on again, off again DVD and streaming split, it’s hard to say what might happen next. They’ve already lost their contract with Starz. Who knows what else they might lose to another streaming service?
So far Vdio is not live in any market, but when it becomes available in the UK the number of subscribers who jump on board will be very telling as to its future in the US. If all goes well for the new streaming service, Netflix had better watch its back. With subscribers already annoyed at the red envelope, all that is missing is a good alternative for a mass exodus to take place. So far, there hasn’t been one, and even Hulu has been struggling after a buyout fell through.
A streaming service offering high quality programming on an international level? Netflix execs are definitely going to have to sleep with one eye open.
