*By Conor White*
One of Netflix's most beloved features may also be a reason the service is losing viewers, at least in the short term. That's according to Alan Wolk, co-founder at media research firm TV{R}ev.
In an interview Tuesday on Cheddar, Wolk pointed to FOMO ー or in Netflix's case, the lack thereof ー for subscribers.
"If all your friends are watching 'Westworld', then you might think, 'Hey, I want to watch this too, even if this other show on Netflix might be slightly better targeted to me,'" he said.
Netflix is [expected to spend](https://www.indiewire.com/2018/07/netflix-original-content-spending-13-billion-1201981599/) as much as $13 billion in 2018 on original content ー some of that could go towards the next "Stranger Things" or "The Crown", but much will likely create super-niche offerings that don't attract broad audiences.
And unlike broadcast or cable, all of Netflix's content ー whether it has a broad appeal or not ー is available to stream at any time, so there isn't necessarily a sense of urgency for viewers to watch right away.
That might be part of the reason the company added 600,000 fewer subscribers in its latest quarter than analysts were expecting. Shares [dropped](https://www.barrons.com/articles/netflix-earnings-stock-tanks-on-weak-subscriber-adds-1531772206) roughly 14 percent after the company reported its second quarter results. It also faces stiff competition from the likes of Amazon, Hulu, and [maybe Walmart](https://cheddar.com/videos/walmart-gets-serious-about-streaming) in the coming years.
Wolk said the spend-on-original-content strategy is a risky one.
"It's a big ask for people to invest in a brand new show," he said.
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/dc-enters-streaming-fray).
Cora is among dozens of young kids across the U.S. poisoned by lead linked to tainted pouches of the cinnamon-and-fruit puree
The IRS said Tuesday it is going to waive penalty fees for people who failed to pay back taxes that total less than $100,000 per year for tax years 2020 and 2021.
Rite Aid has been banned from using facial recognition technology for five years over allegations that a surveillance system it used incorrectly identified potential shoplifters, especially Black, Latino, Asian or female shoppers.
The union representing Southwest Airlines pilots says it reached a new contract agreement in principle with the airline following three years of negotiations.
U.S. Bank has been hit with a $36 million fine for freezing debit cards that distributed unemployment benefits during the pandemic.
Construction of new homes rose by double digits in November, according to data from the Commerce Department.
Cheddar News' Need2Know is brought to you by Securitize, which helps unlock broader access to alternative investments in private businesses, funds, and other alternative assets. The private credit boom is here and the Hamilton Lane Senior Credit Opportunities Fund has tripled in assets under management in just six months from November 2022 through April this year. Visit Securitize.io to learn more.
Stocks opened lower after the opening bell and on track for its first decline in 10 days after a recent winning streak.
Tesla drivers in the U.S. were in more accidents than drivers of any other car brand this year, according to a study.
The promise of self-checkout was alluring: Customers could avoid long lines by scanning and bagging their own items, workers could be freed of doing those monotonous tasks themselves and retailers could save on labor costs.
