Why Does Netflix Succeed While Google TV Struggles?

This past November, we posted about Viacom’s decision to block its content from being viewed through the Google TV platform, which just added to the list of problems with Google’s ambitious product. Most of the notable content people want to see was blocked from Google TV mere months after its launch, and we all had to question the reason why. What did Google overlook?

It’s clear by now that Google didn’t do enough homework prior to launching Google TV, although I’m not sure the company itself would jump at the opportunity to admit it. The initial troubles with Google TV, at least to me, where interesting. Google is a major company, and has equally major success with many platforms and services it launches. So what’s the deal with Google TV?

As CNET reports, it appears that Google simply doesn’t have the greatest people skills, and its extreme focus on business doesn’t rub some people the right way. Netflix is a bit different, though, because in the 10+ years it’s been around, it’s been enjoying great relationships with the biggest Hollywood companies. The reason again has to do with likability and people skills, areas where Netflix execs apparently excel.

The issues go beyond just people skills, though, because as mentioned in the article, some content producers just don’t trust Google as a company. Some of this relates to how Google handles its business elsewhere, such as with its search engine. There, the company does little to filter piracy results, and the same could be said about YouTube when it first launched (things have obviously been amped up there since).

The moral of the story is that for Google TV to be ultimately successful, and compete with the likes of Netflix and others, the company needs to develop far better relationships with Hollywood and its content producers. Otherwise, no one will want to do business, and in the end, Google TV will have a very hard time surviving.

Some of the bad blood at the studios comes from Google’s handling of YouTube after acquiring the iconic service in 2006. The company appeared at first unwilling to do much to prevent users from posting pirated clips to the site. Then there’s the way Google, and other tech companies including Apple, have used the Internet to wrest control of digital distribution from other media categories, including print publishing and music.