Why Netflix has content and Google TV doesn't

From CNET News.com: If Google managers hope to license premium TV shows and films for Google TV and YouTube, they should do what Netflix did and "build relationships through traditional means."

That's the recommendation of one studio executive who was referring to a tradition that has helped forge partnerships in the movie industry for decades: doing lunch. Sounds simple, but in an industry that relies so heavily on personal relationships forged over arugula salads and sparkling water, Google's usual data-heavy, interchangeable-executive approach doesn't cut it. In Hollywood, it seems, Google has had a people problem.

Google managers now seem to have plenty of motivation to hit the cafes on Sunset Boulevard and do some schmoozing. Netflix's streaming video service has jumped out to a big lead in distributing movies and TV shows online and the company continues to cut licensing deals. Earlier this month, Netflix announced it has renewed an agreement that enables it to stream TV shows from the Disney Channel and ABC.

Not only does Netflix possess more content but the company has is far ahead in building out a distribution infrastructure. Managers at the studios and TV networks can look around and see Netflix's streaming service is a prominent feature on scores of Web-connected TVs and set-top boxes. These partnerships have served to enable subscribers the all-important ability of viewing Netflix movies on their TV sets.

Meanwhile, Google has stumbled rolling out Google TV, the software platform that debuted on Sony TVs and Logitech's Revue Box in October. The offering is designed to enable owners to view Web video on TV sets, but so far, the largest broadcast networks have blocked it from accessing their Web shows. The software's complexity has also helped generate mixed reviews.

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