Netflix Needs Cable, But the Feeling Isn’t Always Mutual

Netflix is banking on getting on cable set-top boxes to hit aggressive growth targets in the next few years -- but not every US operator is eager to play ball with a company they view as a rival.

In the US, Netflix has been actively exploring deals with operators, including Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Cox Communications and Charter Communications. Striking multiple system operator distribution deals is a matter of finding the right business terms, according to Netflix CEO Reed Hastings. “I’m really hopeful we can do that with both Comcast and other people in the industry,” he said. But Comcast, for one, is in no rush to add Netflix into the mix. ”Our customers can receive Netflix in a number of ways, so it’s not really a high priority for us,” Comcast Cable president and CEO Neil Smit said.