Currently Netflix has 29.17 million users, compared to HBO who has 28.7 million users.
I give HBO about a week before they release a statement saying that they are ready to go ahead with offering HBO GO as a stand-alone service, in an attempt capitalize on the news that Netflix can attract so many subscribers based off of one show. Cough, Game of Thrones. Some of the most interesting news came out yesterday about Netflix implementing a family plan to increase the number of simultaneous streamers. Right now, each Netflix account allows for two devices to be streaming at one time, which will soon to change to four. That is, if you're willing to shell out a couple extra bucks. The new family plan to be implemented will cost $11.99 per month, as opposed to the traditional plan that costs $7.99 per month.
Netflix stated that they project only one percent of users will opt into the new family plan.
I think this is a gross miscalculation, as I see more people interested in this plan than just one percent of users. Most Netflix account holders have "regretfully" shared their account with friends and family, only to find that come Friday and Saturday nights their family has maxed out the number of streamers while watching back to back episodes of Heartland (Really?). On weekends I don't even try to use my Netflix account, which sucks because those are the actual times I get to use it.
My only real criticism of Canadian Netflix is that their selection is lackluster compared to American Netflix. The interface is also sloppy. I've given up trying to figure out why Netflix suggests some of the movies they do based on what I've watched. For example, Netflix suggests I watch Daniel Tosh: Completely Serious because I watched Snatch, go figure. Something went wrong in the programming on that one. Sloppy.
