How the Studios Lost Out on Netflix

If things had gone a little bit differently back in 2002, we could be seeing a very different Netflix right now.

Story time. The year is 2002 and a fledgling DVD-by-mail company known as Netflix goes public. Warner Bros makes a deal for pre-IPO stock in the company, and the rest of the studios jump on board. The company moves slowly, and the major studios sell their stock.

Somewhere back in 2008 things started to change for the company. Streamed content was gaining popularity thanks to inclusion on the Xbox 360 and more devices were soon to follow. Now Netflix has become a giant in the industry, with stock trading at around $170 a share.

Of course, if the studios had held on to their stock it's unlikely we'd still have the service we have today.

Source: The Wrap