*By Michael Teich* Walmart thinks Netflix's content has failed to entertain Middle Americaーand the retailer's potential streaming service may hold the answer, says Wall Street Journal reporter Sarah Nassauer. “They’re discussing programming that would target their core customer. Walmart’s customer base mirrors America, which means it skews low income, middle income,” she said on Cheddar Monday. “They see a window of opportunity to go after those types of viewers.” To help evaluate the project, veteran TV executive Mark Greenberg has been advising Walmart for several months, Nassauer [reported](https://www.wsj.com/articles/walmart-explores-its-own-streaming-service-1532775600). Most recently, Greenberg served as chief executive of pay-television channel Epix and held senior positions at Showtime and HBO. Nassauer said her sources believe Netflix is neglecting much of the country, and Walmart sees an major opportunity. Two-thirds of Republicans reportedly [prefer](https://morningconsult.com/2018/01/25/walmart-vs-target-a-political-divide-among-shoppers/) Walmart over superstore rival Target. And on average, Walmart shoppers are older, more rural, and lower-income. [Reports surfaced](https://cheddar.com/videos/walmart-streaming-plans-could-boost-retail) earlier this month that Walmart is planning to launch a video-streaming service as early as the end of summer or this coming fall. According to tech website The Information, the service could be priced at less than $8 a month, below the $11 Netflix charges for a standard subscription. The reporter who broke the story, Jessica Toonkel, told Cheddar in an interview that the likelihood of Walmart entering the streaming business will depend on the company's willingness to spend billions of [dollars](https://cheddar.com/videos/walmart-could-launch-video-streaming-platform). Nassauer, though, said the company may not want to pay up for original content. Netflix has said it plans to spend as much as $8 billion on its own this year, and some reports suggest it could go upwards of $12 billion. For full interview, [click here] (https://cms.cheddar.com/videos/VmlkZW8tMjEzMjE=).

Share:
More In Business
Jack Daniels Trademark Lawsuit Against Dog Toy Company Heads to Supreme Court
Jack Daniels was at the U.S. Supreme Court today. The whiskey-makers argued that a dog toy company violated federal trademark law with a product that parodies the distiller's iconic bottle. The toy is the Bad Spaniels Silly Squeaker toy by VIP products. The first amendment case pits the rights of a famous trademark holder against parody products. Jack Daniel says the toy damages its reputation, especially the references to dog poop.
White Claw Announces Branded Vodka
Alcohol brand White Claw is moving into spirits amid an industrywide shift away from hard seltzers. The spiked seltzer brand announced a new line of regular and flavored White Claw premium vodkas. The bottles are available in select markets across North America and come in an unflavored option as well as pineapple mango and black cherry white Claw has dominated the Heart Seltzer market for years. Now bringing the category into the mainstream as more consumers sought those low calorie alcohol drinks.
Load More