On what's typically a snoozy earnings discussion, Reed Hastings shares what he claims is the log-in info for the head of rival HBO. And the password would make your grandma gasp. January 22, 2014 2:44 PM PST Netflix CEO Reed Hastings during a YouTube broadcast discussion of earnings. (Credit: Screenshot by Joan E. Solsman/CNET) Reed Hastings, the founder and chief executive of Netflix, seems to be taking a page out of the script of T-Mobile Chief John Legere. A profanity-ridden page. During what is typically a dry quarterly discussion of earnings results Wednesday, Hastings was asked about HBO Chief Executive Richard Plepler's recent comments that he doesn't care if people share their HBO Go passwords. His response: That was an interesting comment I suppose. So I guess Plelper, the CEO of HBO, doesn't mind me then sharing his account information. So it's plepler@hbo.com and his password is 'Netflix B!+@#.'" A fan of "Breaking Bad," perhaps? Related stories Internet pay-TV is coming. Will you care? Intel TV is dead. Long live Web TV. Verizon to buy Intel's TV business for undisclosed sum Twitter said to be teaming with Stripe for in-tweet payments How Israel and Hamas weaponized social media CNET gave it a shot, and when we tried to log into Netflix as the TV executive, all we got was a message that "The login information you entered does not match an account in our records. Remember, your email address is not case-sensitive, but passwords are." Netflix's has often put HBO squarely in the center of its competitive bull's eye. Original content is key to the future Netflix envisions for itself as an online television provider to surpass HBO, and Hastings has said he envisions the company reaching 60 million to 90 million US customers eventually, which would lap the US subscriber ranks of HBO a few times over. But if everybody just logs in as Plepler, that will surely hurt Netflix subscriber rolls, no?
On what's typically a snoozy earnings discussion, Reed Hastings shares what he claims is the log-in info for the head of rival HBO. And the password would make your grandma gasp.
Netflix CEO Reed Hastings during a YouTube broadcast discussion of earnings.
(Credit: Screenshot by Joan E. Solsman/CNET)
Reed Hastings, the founder and chief executive of Netflix, seems to be taking a page out of the script of T-Mobile Chief John Legere. A profanity-ridden page.
During what is typically a dry quarterly discussion of earnings results Wednesday, Hastings was asked about HBO Chief Executive Richard Plepler's recent comments that he doesn't care if people share their HBO Go passwords. His response:
That was an interesting comment I suppose. So I guess Plelper, the CEO of HBO, doesn't mind me then sharing his account information. So it's plepler@hbo.com and his password is 'Netflix B!+@#.'"
A fan of "Breaking Bad," perhaps?
Related stories
- Internet pay-TV is coming. Will you care?
- Intel TV is dead. Long live Web TV.
- Verizon to buy Intel's TV business for undisclosed sum
- Twitter said to be teaming with Stripe for in-tweet payments
- How Israel and Hamas weaponized social media
CNET gave it a shot, and when we tried to log into Netflix as the TV executive, all we got was a message that "The login information you entered does not match an account in our records. Remember, your email address is not case-sensitive, but passwords are."
Netflix's has often put HBO squarely in the center of its competitive bull's eye. Original content is key to the future Netflix envisions for itself as an online television provider to surpass HBO, and Hastings has said he envisions the company reaching 60 million to 90 million US customers eventually, which would lap the US subscriber ranks of HBO a few times over.
But if everybody just logs in as Plepler, that will surely hurt Netflix subscriber rolls, no?
