With the variety of options for video streaming available, Netflix still remains a popular option among college students because of its affordability, ease of access and, now, its exclusive selection of shows.
Beginning this month, Netflix will release shows that will not be available through other streaming services. According to PR Newswire, the video streaming giant recently announced a new licensing agreement with Warner Bros. that will include releasing complete previous seasons of several hit television series, including “666 Park Avenue”, “Fringe” and “Chuck.”
Netflix is also set to revive the hit comedy “Arrested Development” and release a fourth season of the show in 2013. These subscription-only shows will be available exclusively to Netflix members. Students such as Courtnie Davis, a junior majoring in communication studies, are excited to see the result.
“I think it’s really great that Netflix is reviving shows like that,” Davis said. “It will be really interesting to see how it turns out, but overall I think it was a great move for Netflix.”
The cost of a Netflix subscription, $7.99 a month, makes it a popular option for college students with limited income.
“I pay for it myself,” said Marilyn Collins, a junior majoring in environmental science. “I think it’s a better deal than using regular cable TV because you still have the same TV shows, but there are no commercials, and you can watch whatever show or movie you want whenever you want to watch them.”
Other students have access to family and friends’ Netflix accounts or have their subscription paid for by their parents.
“I don’t have to pay for Netflix. I’m lucky enough to have access to my brother’s account,” Kendyl Parker, a junior majoring in psychology, said
According to StatisticBrain, a website that provides a wide array of statistics, of the 23 million Netflix subscribers, 42 percent use their computers to stream videos. This has led to an average of 2 billion hours spent streaming videos on the internet.
The monthly cost of Netflix negates the stress of paying a cable bill each month or splitting the bill between roommates. With Netflix, students have individual accounts that can be canceled or renewed at any time with no commitments or contracts.
