Netflix 'Recommendations' Sure Look Like Commercials...
*By Conor White*
Netflix's newest feature may only be in the testing phase, but it's causing an uproar on social media. The streaming giant will insert "recommendations" between episodes of shows, and many critics argue these suggestions are [just commercials](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/20/business/media/netflix-commercials-videos-ads.html) by another name. Users complained over the weekend that promotional videos ー which can last up to 20 seconds ー were interrupting their viewing time, and some even threatened to cancel their subscriptions.
Austin Powell, managing editor at the Daily Dot, said it's a "bad look" for Netflix.
"I just want the content, I just want my show," he said Monday in an interview on Cheddar. "It's a regressive move, and I think it's indicative of a lot of other issues."
Netflix posted [less-than-stellar](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2018-07-16/netflix-troubles-may-have-ripple-effects-research-affiliates-ceo-says-video) second-quarter numbers in July, with new subscriber tallies [falling short](http://fortune.com/2018/07/16/netflix-stock-drops/) of expectations.
With more than 80 original series slated for release this year, Powell said this may be an act of desperation for Netflix.
"They just don't know how to market all of that content," he said. "There's literally too much for them to work with and for you to know what to watch, and so they're having to really force this onto the user in a way that's not really that pleasant."
While Netflix seems to believe viewers are having trouble discovering new content, Powell said it's a simple matter of quality, not quantity.
"To me, the real issue here is content. Netflix in 2018 hasn't had a breakout hit like 'Stranger Things' or 'Making A Murderer' and they're just trying to force this."
Still, investors seem to be shrugging off user backlash ー shares of Netflix ended a six-day losing streak and were up more than 3 percent on Monday.
For full interview, [click here] (https://cheddar.com/videos/new-on-netflix-commercials).
The Super Bowl is only a few days away, and the game is currently tracking to be the most expensive one ever.
Gametime, a website and app for last-minute tickets, says the average ticket price for the NFL's championship game is $9,502.50, with the most expensive seats costing nearly $38,000. That's a far cry away from the average ticket price of the first-ever Super Bowl in 1967, which was only $12. The average ticket price increased by more than $8,000 in just the past decade. Matt Rados, Senior Operations Manager at Gametime, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Earlier this week, digital investment advisor Betterment announced that it has hired Makara, a company known for its management of cryptocurrency portfolios. Sarah Levy, CEO of Betterment, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell, where she explains why crypto represents such a promising long-term play and how her company stands to benefit from this latest move.
At-home medical labs company Getlabs raised $20 million in a Series A round, led by Emerson Collective and the Minderoo Foundation. Getlabs aims to be the boots-on-the-ground partner to telehealth. The company says more than 70% of medical decisions still require collecting diagnostic tests in person, and that it fills that void by delivering health care directly to their patients' homes. Founder & CEO of Getlabs Kyle Michelson joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
The White House laid out plans for a $5 billion investment into a national network of charging stations to ease EV driving anxiety. Bruce Brimacombe, CEO of EV infrastructure GOe3 joined Cheddar News to discuss how much needs to be done for drivers to get over the fear of running out of energy. "People need to be able to do what they're doing now," he said. "But that is the way that if you're going to buy an electric car, you got to feel like you're not changing your world." Brimacombe noted that building out the infrastructure between cities was GOe3's own focus.
Sonos reported better than expected Q1 earnings amid chip shortage with the release of its Roam product. CFO Brittany Bagley joined Cheddar News to discuss the smart speaker maker's successful report and its plans to hit its 2024 targets as people leave their homes as pandemic restrictions ease. "Even as people head out in the world, it doesn't mean they don't like to listen to music at home or watch a streaming movie at home," she said. "So there's still a real role for us and our products in peoples lives, sort of, no matter what else they're doing."
Kalle Marsal, Chief Operating Officer at PetDx, joins Cheddar Innovates to discuss how next-generation sequencing technology is being used to detect cancer in pets early.
Ashleigh Hinde, Founder and CEO of WALDO, joins Cheddar Innovates to discuss why now is a good time to make eyecare a priority, and how they are democratizing access to eyecare for all.
