[icebraining]

they could switch onto whatever tech HBO uses and leverage their existing content without subscribers even noticing.

I disagree; subscribers would definitively notice if Netflix lost its global ISP-hosted dynamically-allocated caching network, for example: https://openconnect.netflix.com/en/

There's more tech than what's visible on the surface.

[dgfgfdagasdfgfa]

Well, I agree their data center technology is impressive, but—again—it's hardly unique. HBO and MLB both serve similar levels of peak traffic with similar quality, though netflix manages to deliver some bitrate at almost all times whereas HBO sometimes hiccups.

[icebraining]

HBO Now has 2M subscribers.

Netflix has 100M.

[dgfgfdagasdfgfa]

I'd be interested if you could demonstrate there's a strong correlation between that and peak traffic—but I suspect things like GOT premiers will be highly competitive with netflix.

Furthermore, this is highly cacheable content. Again, netflix's tech is impressive, but at its core caching is a problem that has been solved and solved again. You aren't going to differentiate yourself by being a dumb pipe.

I highly, highly, highly doubt that netflix's tech is going to be a differentiating factor when people choose them so they can watch Kimmy Schmidt.