3. Value Proposition
Americans associate Netflix with successful streaming,
and Netflix Gamestream will be the first company to
offer a wide array of games for streaming that are
compatible with any device, at a reasonable price.
3
We propose that Netflix enter
the game streaming industry.
4. Opportunity
Game Streaming Industry
Doesn’t currently
exist yet
$25 billion spent
per year in U.S.
Revenues up by
>20% per 5 years
Race for first
mover advantage
● Started as DVD rental service → now a streaming service
● Controls over ⅓ of all downstream internet traffic in the U.S.
during peak times (evenings, weekends)
● Netflix can only grow by 6-9 million more subscribers in U.S.
● Crossed industries once, can do it again
4
“As long as Netflix can continue this trend of
innovation, the company will remain an
important voice in the entertainment
industry” -Steve Fuller, statistician
5. Summary of Environment
Life Cycle Stage
GROWTH
Revenue Volatility
HIGH
Concentration
LOW
Barriers to Entry
HIGH
Competition
HIGH
Regulation Level
LOW
Technology Change
HIGH
Capital Intensity
LOW
Globalization
MEDIUM
What is Netflix really competing for?
SCREEN TIME
5
6. Competitive Advantage
6
● Big data & algorithms
● Strong association with successful streaming
● Original content
● Fierce brand loyalty
● Customer acquisition & retention
○ 37% of world’s internet users are Netflix subscribers
● Massive Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) already established
● ISP boxes installed in thousands of data delivery centers nationwide
● Netflix already thrives in key challenge areas- lag time, connectivity,
bandwidth, compatibility
8. Target Market Profile
8
18-35 years olds
Play video games 3 times a week
Like the quality of services they
receive
Convenience is important to them
9. Target Market Profile
9
Works full-time in finance
Lives in the city
Likes to play action games
Finds new games through online video
channels
Likes to listen to crime podcasts
Engaged to be married soon
Student studying architecture
Lives in a dorm
Likes to play strategy games
Finds new games through friends
Likes to ride a bike
Vegan
Shops online
Jack, 29 Abbie, 18
10. Marketing / Communication Plan
#NetflixandChillisnotsoChillAnymore}
}
| |
encaptures company core
campaign
new excitement that crafted
for our new target market
10
11. Pricing / Distribution
Movie/Show Account
Type
Movie/Show Account
Cost
Gamestream Cost
(Single Screen)
Final Cost
No Movie/Show
Account
$0.00 $40.00 $40.00 a month
Basic $8.99 $35.00 $43.99 a month
Standard $12.99 $35.00 $47.99 a month
Premium $15.99 $35.00 $50.99 a month
11
12. Key Operations Points
● Delivery
○ What may have to change is the
capability of these centers.
○ With new commands to perform
every minute, they will have to
adapt
○ Streaming platforms such as Apple
TV and XBOX will need to become
compatible with the new gaming
capabilities as well
Customers’
Devices
Open CDN
Boxes
Streaming
API
Website Consumer
AWS Cloud
CDN Boxes
Cite: Dorfman
12
13. Key Operations Points(continued)
● Relationships
○ Netflix will need to develop
strong relationships with
members of the gaming
industry such as Take Two.
○ Approach government &
private agencies to learn
different laws and regulations
around the world.
FEDERAL
GOVERNMENTS
GAME
DISTRIBUTORS
GAME
DEVELOPERS
PRIVATE
GAMING
AGENCIES
Gaming Content
Laws & Regulations
13
14. Infrastructure Technology
● There are additions to be
made
○ New game-dedicated
CDN centers will need
to be created
○ More free ISP boxes will
also need to be installed
● These may seem costly, but,
in the end, it will better
Netflix’s overall service
● Technology will stay relatively
constant
● Netflix’s algorithm will need to
now include gaming
preferences
14
15. “People” Expansion
● The Gamestream sector would be an entirely
new department
● Within this department would be positions
such as
○ Vice President of Gaming
○ Director of Content Acquisition
● Key Attraction & Reason for Retention
○ Thrill of changing the game industry
CEO
Vice President
of Gaming
Director of
Content
Acquisition
Director of
Game
Streaming
Director of
Design
Customer
Service
Game-Specific
Marketing
Game-Specific
Legal
See Appendix for Hiring Details and Basic Job Descriptions
15
16. Financial Pro-Formas Summary
Capital Expenditures in 2019: Purchase of Property and Equipment = $405 million
Startup Costs: $377 million
Content Acquisition Costs in 2019: $1,581 million
Cash Required in 2019: $2,363 million
See Appendices L-N for detailed Income Statement and Cash Flow Analysis
#’s in millions 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Revenues $0 $1,462 $2,193 $3,290 $4,935 $7,402
COGS $0 $585 $861 $1,267 $1,863 $2739
Marketing $212 $238 $362 $551 $839 $1,277
Tech & Dev. $56 $121 $186 $288 $444 $685
General and
Administrative
Expense $109 $58 $88 $131 $197 $295
Net Income ($378) $324 $490 $741 $1,122 $1,697
Cash Flow from
Operations ($65) ($59) ($49) ($14) $67 $234
16
17. Industry Risks / Mitigation
Lag, bandwidth, connectivity,
compatibility
CDNs, ISPs
Licensing
NEW GAME CONTRACTS,
ORIGINAL CONTENT
Price
SUCCESSFUL MARKETING,
PRICE BUNDLES
Brand Recognition
SUCCESSFUL MARKETING,
BIG DATA, ALGORITHMS
Copyright Laws
NEVER WORK OUT OF A
CONTRACT, TRANSPARENCY
International Regulations
COMPLY WITH LAWS,
CREATE DIFFERENT CONTENT
17
21. ● A. VRIO Resource Analysis
● B. Porter’s Five Forces
● C. Value Chain Analysis
● D. Competitor Analysis
● E. SWOT Analysis
● F. Marketing Material Examples
● G. Pricing
● H. AIDA Marketing Model
● I. Marketing Monitors & Controls
● J. Organizational Employee Distribution
● K. Brief Descriptions of New Positions
● L. Pro Forma Income Statement for the Firm
● M. Cash Flow Forecast for the Firm (2)
● N. Pro Forma for the Video Game Segment
● O. WACC Calculation for Netflix (3)
● P. NPV of Gamestream
21
Appendices
22. A. VRIO Resource Analysis 22
Valuable? Rare? Costly to imitate? Organized to Capture Value?
YES YES/NO YES YES
BRAND
Customers are extremely
loyal to Netflix. 37% of
worldwide internet users are
Netflix subscribers.
While a video streaming service
is not rare, Netflix goes above
and beyond. Netflix offers its
customers a unique experience.
The reason Netflix’s customers
are so fiercely loyal is because
the brand offers them a unique,
customizable experience. The
algorithms that provide this are
extremely advanced.
Netflix is a staple of the
American screen time market.
YES YES YES YES
BIG DATA/
ALGORITHMS/TE
CHNOLOGY
INFRASTRUCTUR
E
These algorithms collect very
specific and useful
information for the company,
giving it major competitive
advantage.
Companies strive to have such
detailed algorithms and big data.
Netflix’s complex CDN network
and data algorithms are very
costly to imitate. Netflix keeps
costs down by allowing data
centers to install ISP boxes for
free, but not all companies
would be able to have the
influence to do this.
Yes. Netflix succeeds as a deeply
personal and customizable
service due to these algorithms
and data.
YES YES YES YES
CONTENT
Yes, 60% of Netflix users
say that Netflix’s original
content is extremely
important to them (Fuller).
The Netflix model is not rare,
and many companies offer
streaming for video and many
companies are trying to offer
streaming for games. However,
Netflix’s original content is rare
and the company could extend
this to its gaming service.
Netflix invests heavily in
original content creation- a long
term strategy that not every
company is willing to pursue.
Netflix customers are extremely
likely to be repeat users because
of the amount of content,
including original content.
Appendix Home
23. 23
Threat of New Entrants Medium While regulations, concentration, and capital investment are low, competition and
technology change are very high, making new entrants a medium level threat.
There are thousands of aspiring game creators and several companies that are
trying to get into the game streaming market but they don’t all have the same
infrastructure as the big companies do. To be successful in game streaming, it
really requires a massive data delivery network.
Threat of Substitutes Medium Currently, Playstation Now is the only semi-successful game streaming service
available, and it’s not receiving much love from consumers due to its lag times,
connectivity issues, older games, and price. Since the game streaming industry is
a relatively non-existent market, the threat of direct substitutes is low. However,
there are a number of indirect substitutes- PS Now, Xbox Game Pass, traditional
game purchasing, not playing (non-consumption).
Bargaining Power of
Suppliers
High Game suppliers like Blizzard, EA, Nintendo, Valve, and Rockstar Games are
sometimes very protective of their games and sometimes only allow games on
certain console companies to license (about 10% of the time). In addition,
licensing will be incredibly expensive as companies like Microsoft and Sony will
be able to offer high payouts/royalties to game creators
Bargaining Power of
Buyers
Medium Buyers won’t have many other streaming options to choose from but if the price
is too high, buyers will just opt to continue traditional gaming. These buyers are
technologically intelligent and will figure out the most cost effective way to game
Rivalry High Several large and powerful companies are vigorously attacking this opportunity
right now. These competitors have lots of money, resources, and power.
B. Porter’s Five Forces
Appendix Home
24. 24
Primary Activities Support Activities
Inbound Logistics: For video storage: Content Delivery Network
CDN (2 types of servers (hard disk drives and flash drives) in
multiple geographic locations)
Operations: data is shared with entire company on internal server,
not a lot of standardization. Netflix prefers brief, useful memos or
face to face discussion.
Outbound Logistics: For video streaming: Content Delivery
Network CDN (2 types of servers (hard disk drives and flash
drives) in multiple geographic locations) (CDN only requires about
40 employees) and ISP boxes that large network connectivity
centers can install on their premises. For customer
information/search feature/login feature/etc.: Amazon Web
Services (AWS) (Amazon may have a problem with Netflix
Gaming using AWS or Amazon may like the increased revenue
from Netflix paying for that much cloud space) (Techquickie)
Marketing & Sales: reasonable prices, very communicative with
customers/fans, funny/relatable social media, innovative
standalone marketing gimmicks (apps from shows, interactive
websites, etc.), focus on virality
Service: very communicative, call lines, 24 hour chat, online help
center
Firm Infrastructure: public company, board members often
observe senior mgmt meetings, board communications are
accessible to all on company’s internal shared system, very
transparent and cooperative (Larcker)
HR Mgmt: tons of autonomy is placed in employees’ hands, no
vacation or expense account policies, hold informal reviews all the
time instead of formal reviews annually, managers are in charge of
teams and hiring only A employees (McCord)
Technology Development: licensing and creation of originals
Procurement: seasonal contracts and originals
C. Value Chain Analysis
Appendix Home
25. 25
Name of the Competitor Advantages Disadvantages
Amazon Cloud infrastructure, Twitch , Amazon
Prime, customer loyalty
No game contracts, more of an
information company
Verizon “Verizon Gaming” Bandwidth, connectivity Bundles limited to Verizon users,
no game contracts
Apple Access to games on app store, customer
loyalty, cloud infrastructure
No game contracts outside mobile,
no screen streaming
Google “Project Stream” Assassin’s Creed works well (fighting
game), connectivity, demonstrated
improved latency for single player
Not very far in development, not a
streaming company
Microsoft “Project x Cloud” Xbox, already has catalog of games, far
into R&D, Xbox Game Pass subscription
Not a streaming company,
customer loyalty dependent on
games offered
Sony “Playstation Now” Playstation, already has catalog of games,
Playstation Now has allowed PC and PS4
users to stream PS 2, 3, & 4 games for 5
years ($20/month, $100/year)
Playstation Now hasn’t done very
well due to price and latency
issues, customer loyalty dependent
on games offered, current offerings
are dated
D. Competitor Analysis
Appendix Home
26. 26
Strength Weakness
● Strong brand name
● Large selection of content
● Customized content per viewer
● No commercials
● High user satisfaction
● Large consumer base
● Capability of consumer usage through
multiple devices
● Competitive pricing
● Users sharing accounts
● Dependence on suppliers
● Possible licensing issues
● Streaming Quality difference amongst users
● Using AWS
Opportunity Threats
● International markets
● Growing demand for game streaming service
● Technology growth
● Netflix original series
● Other strong brands with high opportunity to
grow
● Rapid technology change
E. SWOT Analysis
Appendix Home
28. Movie/Show Account
Type
Movie/Show Account
Cost
Gamestream Cost
(Single Screen)
Final Cost
No Movie/Show
Account
$0.00 $40.00 $40.00 a month
Basic $8.99 $35.00 $43.99 a month
Standard $12.99 $35.00 $47.99 a month
Premium $15.99 $35.00 $50.99 a month
28
G. Pricing
Appendix Home
29. 29
Awareness Actions ● Large video advertisement placed during primetime events such as the Superbowl
● Sponsorship of the 2019 Game Awards
● Print advertisements
Interest Actions ● Social media presence (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, etc.)
● YouTube in-display advertisements and posted videos
● Promote “free first month”
Desire Actions ● Influencer promotions from celebrities and popular gamers
● Personalized emails to current and potential subscribers
● Optimization of SEO
Action ● Customer feedback opportunities & surveys
H. AIDA Marketing Model
Appendix Home
30. I. Marketing Monitors & Controls
We plan to monitor our progress toward 5% of revenue from Gamestream Accounts by simply keeping
track of how many people sign up for an individual or bundled account and by watching our financial
statements. This will be relatively simple as these monitors are already in place--Netflix currently keeps
records of members and types of accounts these members have. To monitor how effective the new
promotion strategies are, we suggest keeping track of Cost per Click (CPC) on how many views YouTube
advertisements receive. Netflix currently has 7.4 million YouTube subscribers and over 2,500 videos posted.
We project that the number of subscribers will grow to at least 8 million about one month after the new
advertisements are introduced. “Pre-play” advertisements on specific channels will also be useful to monitor
the amount of views these videos receive individually as well as to see how far the advertisements are
reaching. Finally, we will monitor our television advertisements (specifically SuperBowl ads) by tracking the
Cost per Thousand (CPT) for viewers watching the program at the time.
Surveys and focus groups will also be held within the first year of planning and after the official
announcement. This will assure that Netflix takes the necessary precautions to serve its subscribers properly.
At this time, Netflix will be able to ask for suggestions for games and platform advancements. Focus group
participants will be compensated, and survey respondents will be entered into a raffle to receive a free year of
the Netflix Bundled Service (video and gaming).
30
Appendix Home
31. Category Year 0
(2019)
Year 1
(2020)
Year 2
(2021)
Year 3
(2022)
Year 4
(2023)
Year 5
(2024)
Management 5 5 5 0 0 0
Content & Streaming 10 20 10 10 10 5
Customer Service 0 15 5 5 5 0
Other 20 15 20 10 10 10
TOTALS 35 55 40 25 25 15
*based on hired years and assuming no fires*
31
J. Organizational Employee Distribution
Appendix Home
32. 32
Vice President of Gaming Director of Content Acquisition
● Degree from an accredited college or university
● 3-5 years experience in the gaming industry
● 2+ years in a management position
● Widespread knowledge of both the streaming and gaming
industries
● Strong leadership and decision-making skills
● Degree from an accredited college or university
● 2-4 years experience in the game development and/or content
development
● Widespread knowledge of the gaming industry
● Ability to demonstrate credibility and integrity
● Exceptional writing and communication skills, used to relay
ideas to higher management
Director of Game Streaming Director of Design
● Degree from an accredited college or university
● 2-4 years experience in video/game distribution
● Widespread knowledge of both the streaming and gaming
industries
● Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Adobe, Dreamweaver, HTML
● Degree from an accredited college or university
● 3-5 years experience in gaming design
● Widespread knowledge of the gaming industry
● Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Adobe, Dreamweaver, HTML
K. Brief Descriptions of New Positions
Appendix Home
43. Works Cited
● University of Washington Foster Research Library, clients1-ibisworld-com.offcampus.lib.washington.edu/reports/us/industry/ataglance.aspx?entid=2003.
● “60 Netflix Statistics, Facts and Figures (2018 Version).” Comparitech, 3 Oct. 2018, www.comparitech.com/blog/vpn-privacy/netflix-statistics-facts-
figures/.
● Birnbaum, Ian. “Here Are All the Times Companies Have Tried to Make 'Netflix for Gaming'.” Pcgamer, PC Gamer THE GLOBAL AUTHORITY ON
PC GAMES, 19 Oct. 2018, www.pcgamer.com/here-are-all-the-times-companies-have-tried-to-make-netflix-for-gaming.
● Fuller, Steve. “Topic: Netflix.” Statista, Statista, www.statista.com/topics/842/netflix/.
● Gilbert, Ben. “5 Major Tech Companies, from Amazon to Apple, Are Trying to Make the 'Netflix of Gaming' - Here's How the Competition Stacks Up.”
Business Insider, Business Insider, 29 Jan. 2019, www.businessinsider.com/netflix-of-gaming-apple-amazon-microsoft-google-2019-1#2-verizon-2.
● “Global Cloud Gaming Market Size 2023 | Statistic.” Statista, Statista, www.statista.com/statistics/932758/cloud-gaming-market-world/.
● Hired. “Hired 2018 Global Brand Health Report.” Hired, hired.com/brand-health-report.
● Hough, Jack, and Jack Hough. “The Videogame Industry Reaches for the Cloud.” Barron's, Barrons, 25 Aug. 2018, www.barrons.com/articles/the-
videogame-industry-reaches-for-the-cloud-1535155282.
● Larcker, David F, and Brian Tayan. “Netflix Approach to Governance.” Stanford Closer Look Series, Leland Stanford Junior University, 1 May 2018,
s22.q4cdn.com/959853165/files/doc_downloads/cl71_netflix.pdf.
● McCord, Patty, and Ram Charan. “How Netflix Reinvented HR.” Harvard Business Review, 10 Jan. 2019, hbr.org/2014/01/how-netflix-reinvented-hr.
● “Netflix Inc Company Profile.” Lexis Nexis, University of Washington Foster Research Library,
www.corporateaffiliations.com.offcampus.lib.washington.edu/subscriber/CompanyProfile.
● “Share of VoD Users Who Subscribe to Netflix by Age 2015 | Statistic.” Statista, Statista, www.statista.com/statistics/421839/netflix-internet-user-age-
usa.
● Solsman, Joan E. “On a Netflix Free Trial? A Third of You Will Likely Pay Up.” CNET, CNET, 24 Apr. 2017, www.cnet.com/news/netflix-hulu-sling-
free-trial-parks-associates/.
● Takahashi, Dean. “Americans Spend $25.3B Each Year on Video Games.” VentureBeat, VentureBeat, 12 Dec. 2018,
venturebeat.com/2010/05/09/americans-spend-25-3b-each-year-on-video-games/.
● Techquickie. “How Does Netflix Work?” YouTube, YouTube, 22 Aug. 2017, www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXQpgAAeLM4.
● “Top Gaming Influencers: 25 You Want On Your Team.” IZEA Worldwide, 23 Feb. 2018, izea.com/2017/10/11/top-gaming-influencers.
● US Legal, Inc. “Video Games.” Entertainment Law, entertainmentlaw.uslegal.com/censorship/ratings/video-games/.
● Wolf, Jacob. “Esports in the Olympics by 2020? It Could Happen.” ESPN, ESPN Internet Ventures, 19 Apr. 2016,
www.espn.com/esports/story/_/id/15232682/esports-olympics-2020-happen.
43
Editor's Notes
Hello Netflix! Thank you so much for having us today! As you can probably tell by the intro video, we are here today to propose Netflix Gamestream.
This will be Netflix’s step into the game streaming industry.
Netflix is already hugely successful when it comes to video streaming, so we recommend that the company expand its reach to include gamers as well.
Netflix is positioned for success in this market and we’ll dive deeper into why this is throughout our presentation.
Let’s look at the game streaming market opportunity:
Market doesn’t currently exist yet, so we’re going to use a combination of game industry statistics and future projections for our analysis
With gamers currently spending over $25 billion per year in the U.S. (doesn’t include new consoles or accessories), revenues increasing by over 20% per five year period, and several companies racing to gain first mover advantage in this market:
This is a market that is looking to explode in the near future, it’s really just about who’s positioned to gain first mover advantage and who’s prepared to handle it successfully
Let’s look at a little company info:
Netflix started as a DVD rental service but crossed industries and transitioned into primarily a streaming company.
Netflix controls over one third of all downstream internet traffic in the U.S. during peak usage times
Netflix can only grow by 6-9 million more subscribers in the U.S. and needs to look into market expansion
Netflix has crossed industries before and can do it again.
***SHOW QUOTE WHILE SAYING THIS***
Here, we have a summary of the game streaming environment.
The gaming industry is changing and growing.
Esports are even projected to be included in the 2020 Olympics.
At the end of the day, Netflix is not in competition with other video streaming services.
With the introduction of Fortnite especially, Netflix is competing for a larger share of a consumer’s screen time.
Netflix’s biggest competitors actually lie in the gaming industry, with Fortnite leading the way.
While certain facets of this industry are easily penetrable, the competition and technology changes create high barriers to entry for any company without already existing infrastructure and competitive advantages.
As stated, we believe Netflix has strong differentiators that make it the ideal company to handle this change.
I’ll now let Lauren to tell you a little more about Netflix’s key competitive advantages.
Netflix has a lot of competitive advantages in this industry. Netflix has big data and algorithms, strong association with successful streaming, original content, and fierce brand loyalty.
Netflix also shines in customer acquisition and retention. About 37% of the world’s internet users are Netflix subscribers
Netflix has a lot of competitive advantages in this industry, possesses massive content delivery networks (CDN) set up around the globe as well as ISP boxes installed in thousands of data delivery centers worldwide. Upon entry into the game streaming industry, Netflix will of course have to invest in more data centers and servers, but the company is already more well equipped to handle this adjustment than others.
Key challenges of game streaming include lag time, connectivity, bandwidth, and compatibility, but these are all areas where Netflix thrives.
The only thing Netflix currently lacks is game contracts with companies like Blizzard, EA, and Rockstar Games. Gaming contracts are constantly redrawn, so this isn’t much of a hindrance for Netflix, especially if Netflix starts creating or licensing original games.
Pursuing this opportunity gives netflix an even higher competitive advantage:
Better off test- yes, this makes us better off.
Ownership test- there’s nobody to partner with as a game streaming company. So they would have a better opportunity in this industry by owning their own game streaming business that partners with game creators.
Entry cost test- yes, game COGS is way less than video
I’ll now hand it over to Melis who will discuss Netflix Gamestream’s marketing plan.
Netflix is targeting 18-35 years old gamers,
Play video games 3 times a week
Like the quality of services they receive
Convenience is important to them
Let’s take a closer look to the target market..
JACK,29
Works full-time in finance
Likes to listen to crime podcasts
Engaged to be married soon
ABBIE,18
Student studying architecture
Vegan
Shops online
Hashtag Netflixandchillisnotsochillanymore
Inspiration for this campaign came from new excitement that the target market will be experiencing with Netflix’s new service: gamestream.
Netflix is going to be having a big release event for gamestream at “The Game Awards 2019”
Integrated ad campaign put in plan to create buzz. Netflix will be periodically releasing spoilers out on multiple platforms until the event. Spoilers will include short videos featuring top Netflix original stars
Also, the firm will be leveraging this social media hashtag.
Netflix is going to be spending half their budget of $212 million for sponsorship of this prestigious event as well as advertising efforts leading to the event.
Netflix also, is purchasing 2 SuperBowl ads to reach mass audience costing about 10 million dollars.
Lastly, Netflix will be leveraging top online gamers to promote the service through paid sponsorship.
Here is a breakdown of prices for Netflix and Netflix Gamestream. We suggest offering bundled prices that cap at $51 per month.
Mackenzie will now discuss our operations.
TREY/LAUREN
TREY/LAUREN
MACKENZIE/MELIS
TREY/LAUREN
CapEx: We expect purchases of PP&E to step up in 2018 before returning to normal levels over the forecasted period.
Startup Costs: Given that Netflix will need to rapidly acquire content in the time before launching, we see additions to streaming content assets being a significant start up cost. We see the cost reducing over the years as content agreements are locked up at lower costs and Netflix explores in-house production.
*read through these, explain the mitigations a little more in depth*
Better Off Test: Yes, Netflix’s presence in the game streaming market gives the company greater competitive advantage
Ownership Test: Yes, ownership of the service does give Netflix greater competitive advantage than a partnership
Entry Cost Test: Yes, considering the financials, this new venture can be carried out at a significant discount relative to the benefits
~Conclusion: Netflix has significant competitive advantage and is primed for success in the game streaming market