Netflix' Watch Instantly streaming service gave it an early lead but its catalog does not include a lot of recent Hollywood hits. Many of the company's deals require it to delay
making titles available -- either on DVD or online -- until they have been on store shelves for 28 days.
"Today's war is for Internet television," says Jim Lanzone, the CEO of an online television guide Clicker. "And Blockbuster was never really relevant to Internet television." But don't count Netflix out by any means. It started a new service in Canada last week that offers a subscription to consumers for online streaming only, and it has proven to be very adept at signing up customers, which has given it the finances to improve its content over time.
advertisement
advertisement