Netflix CEO Responds To Controversy About Offering Faster Playback Speeds

Netflix recently generated controversy when it introduced an experimental new feature that allows viewers to speed up (or slow down) the playback speed of movies and TV shows. Numerous creatives from Hollywood spoke out against it, including 40-Year-Old Virgin director Judd Apatow, who pleaded with Netflix to not "f**k with our timing." Only a small number of Netflix users have access to the beta test, but it still generated lots of buzz, and now the CEO of Netflix has responded, defending the decision to test the feature and see what users make of it.

Speaking at the DealBook 2019 event, Reed Hastings started off by clarifying that the variable playback speed options are only an experiment to gauge consumer interest. He said Netflix cares about making sure both creators and consumers have a good experience.

Hastings also pointed out that, a while ago, people vocally criticized Netflix's decision to introduce the "skip intro" button, while others took issue with movies coming to mobile devices altogether.

"Our job is to have both creators and consumers feel excited about Netflix. Both are important audiences. Sometimes we do things like 'Play Next Episode' over the credits. Or, a long time ago, it was watching a movie on a mobile phone--that was seen as a terrible thing," Hastings said. "'How can you let my art be seen on a mobile phone?'"

Netflix is trying to make the service appeal to both creators and consumers--both markets are "very important," Hastings said. "In the speed up, which was only 1.5X, it's an experiment, we're always doing experiments to try to see, 'Do consumers even care about that?'"

If the variable playback speeds prove to be popular with consumers, Netflix will work with content creators to try to hammer out the details and specifics about best practices, Hastings said. "We do care about creators and the creative intent and vision but we also care about consumers," he said, adding that variable playback speeds have been available on DVD players for decades already.

Finally, Hastings pointed out that the entire reason Netflix has the "Skip Intro" button is because users called for it. This was a controversial introduction, he said, because not all creators wanted consumers to be able to watch a show without seeing the intro or credits.

In other Netflix news, Hastings confirmed that the company has no plans to release a game-streaming service of its own. The company sees Fortnite as a competitor, but its goal is to create compelling content to get people to put down the controller and boot up Netflix.

For more on what's new on Netflix in November, check out this roundup of all the new TV show and movies on Netflix.