How Netflix's Content Distribution Has Changed Over The Years

Netflix, Inc. NFLX is going all-in on original content, and the streaming giant appears to be on track to reach its goal of 50 percent original programming within the next several years. Netflix original shows such as “House of Cards,” “Orange is the New Black” and “Making a Murderer” are so popular these days it’s easy to forget Netflix had no original programming at all prior to 2012.

A Fast And Furious History

“Lilyhammer,” which hit Netflix back in 2012, was the platform's first ever original show. In 2013, the show was joined by “House of Cards,” “Orange is the New Black,” “Hemlock Grove” and “Arrested Development” to expand Netflix’s roster of original programming to a total of five shows.

In 2014, Netflix continued its aggressive original content investment by more than doubling its offerings to 11 total original shows. By 2016, Netflix had become an original content machine. Last year, the company produced 31 scripted series, 30 children’s series, 10 movies and a host of documentaries and specials.

This year, the company is looking to double that impressive output once again. Netflix hopes to have at least 60 original series and a total of 1,000 hours of original programming available by the end of 2017.

Contenders

Netflix is paying a steep price for the original content as well. The company expects to spend $6 billion on original content in 2017, significantly more than Comcast Corporation CMCSA’s NBC ($4.3 billion) and CBS Corporation CBS ($4.0 billion) spent in 2016.

However, Amazon.com, Inc. AMZN is not conceding the original content race. Amazon spent $3.2 billion on content in 2016 and plans to triple its original content budget by the end of 2017.