Netflix in discussions to buy rights to an original series

Netflix in discussions to buy rights to an original series:

Netflix in Talks for Original Series [Wall Street Journal]

"Netflix may be crossing the line from simply a distributor of TV reruns and movies to a program originator, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal. The Internet's top video streaming company is in talks to purchase 26 episodes of a political drama titled "House of Cards." The show, based on a British mini-series, will star Kevin Spacey and will be directed by David Fincher.

With 20 million subscribers by the end of 2010, Netflix already has a larger potential audience for the series than some premium cable channels like Starz and Showtime but still less than HBO with 28 million subscribers. A report released this week by NPD indicates that Netflix is responsible for 61 percent of all digital movie viewing, more than Apple and Amazon combined.

The potential deal would give Netflix the rights to air the series online before any other channel is able to carry it."