Netflix has quick fix for possible mail troubles

From CNET News.com: The postman, an often overlooked low-tech part of Netflix's Web movie-rental business, may walk off the job--at least on Saturdays.

The U.S. Postal Service, founded in 1775, wants to drop Saturday mail delivery as part of a plan to cut costs, according to reports in The Washington Post and elsewhere. Some observers fear that Netflix customers could revolt if the weekend becomes a dead zone for disc delivery.

The proposal is a long way from being a sure thing. Several lawmakers and the union representing mail carriers have said they opposed a Saturday shutdown. And the people wringing their hands perhaps have forgotten about Netflix's still blossoming streaming service. A Netflix spokesman declined to comment.

One research analyst who covers Netflix thinks that if the worst happens, Netflix users won't be put out too much. "I don't think most people would care," said Michael Pachter, from Wedbush Securities.

Pachter breaks down the problem this way: the average Netflix user rents 6 movies a month, or 1.5 movies a week. He says that if the mailman stops delivering those little red Netflix packages on Saturdays, people will learn to order movies early enough so they arrive before the weekend.

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