NEW YORK – Netflix subscribers may be in for a surprise when they check their bills at the end of the month. It appears that the streaming video company has recently made the decision to split users into two distinct billing categories, which are dependent on the customers’ views on comedian and ‘actor’ Adam Sandler.
The categories, titled ‘Sandler Fan,’ and ‘Viewer with Taste’ will each contain restrictions on what movies can be streamed, as well as changes to the price paid for services. Both of these decisions come just prior to the investors’ vote to split the CEO and chairman roles into two separate positions within the company.
Reed Hastings, the co-founder of Netflix, currently holds both titles. The decision to vote on the split options was very popular among shareholders, of whom 73 percent voted in favor of an independent chairman, the largest such approval rate for such a proposition.
Viewers in the category of ‘Sandler Fan’ will pay a premium and will only be able to stream content from Sandler’s production company, Happy Madison Productions. Viewers who are deemed to have “reasonable taste in film” will be allowed to continue at their current subscription rate, though they will be unable to access any of Sandler’s films via Netflix instant streaming.
“We were brainstorming ways to improve the Netflix experience, and splitting our viewers into categories regarding whether or not they enjoy Adam Sandler ‘movies’ just seemed like a no brainer,” explained Hastings. “Viewers on both sides have been very receptive to the change. We can now provide higher quality content to our regular subscribers, and—well, fans of Adam Sandler live in such a fantasyland that most haven’t even noticed the rise in cost. “
While some predicted an upswing in complaints due to the split, Hastings made clear that this was not the case at all.
“Nobody feels like they’re getting cheated,” explained Hastings. “We’ve actually been getting calls from Sandler fans all week complimenting the ‘great’ additions to our streaming section. They just don’t get it.”
