Resistance is futile, Netflix will be everywhere. Their “Watch Instantly” feature is on many systems including the Xbox 360, some Blu-ray players, and even on LG televisions. Now, Netflix has added some new partners, the New York Times and Rotten Tomatoes.
Here is how this works: you visit a movie review on either the New York Times or Rotten Tomatoes. Each site now has an “Add to Netflix” button. Rotten Tomatoes has placed the button beneath its review box complete with a button that looks like it came from Netflix.com. The New York Times has gone with a more subtle approach by placing its Netflix buttons on the left pane of the page, but their buttons are in the NYT’s color scheme.
Personally, I like the Times’ approach a little better since it is right under the movie trailer information. Additionally, they have placed a “Watch Now” button if the movie is available in that particular format. Rotten Tomatoes doesn’t display a “Watch Now” button on their page.
Netflix has withstood a lot of competition over the years and is still growing. This latest partnership with two incredibly popular movie review sites is another example of how they have managed to be successful.
Read: [The Official Netflix Blog]
Netflix made a brilliant move with their API. The "open" approach is working for them. Old-school content providers should take note.