Citing unnamed sources, the Wall Street Journal reported that Netflix Inc was in discussions with cable television companies in the US to make its streaming video service available through their set-top boxes. Among the companies that were said to be talking with Netflix were Comcast Corp and Suddenlink Communications.
The WSJ report said that no agreement was expected to be made soon as the negotiations were still in its early stages. According to people with the matter, a thorny point in the talks was Netflix's requirement that cable companies would need to use special technology. This technology would improve the Internet subscription service provider's streaming video quality.
In a Goldman Sachs investor conference last month, Netflix Chief Financial Officer David Wells said the firm was amenable to making such deals with cable firms in the US.
Wells said, "We would love to reduce the friction to the end consumer, and to be available via the existing device in the home which is the set-top box. But it's up to the (pay TV provider) to decide how much a competitor they view us as, or a complement."
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