Every smart TV remote has a Netflix button. Every TV homescreen puts Netflix front and center. That's not by accident - it's Netflix leveraging its market dominance to force hardware makers into strict certification requirements. Now, with Netflix's pending acquisition of Warner Bros. and HBO Max, the streaming giant could gain even more control over your living room, or regulators might finally force it to open up its walled garden.
Netflix has quietly built an empire that extends far beyond your subscription fee. Walk into any electronics store and you'll notice something peculiar - whether you're eyeing a Samsung QLED, an LG OLED, or a budget TCL model running Roku, every single remote has one thing in common: a bright red Netflix button staring back at you.
That's the result of years of Netflix flexing its muscle over hardware manufacturers through what the company calls its "Netflix Ready" certification program. The requirements go well beyond technical specs for codecs and DRM. According to UniqCast, a company that helps operators integrate streaming apps, Netflix mandates that its app must be "placed as the first item in the rail on the initial launcher screen, with a fully visible icon and adherence to Netflix brand guidelines."
TV makers have no choice but to comply. Netflix commands 19 percent of all streaming in North America, making it the second-most-popular smart TV app after YouTube. Shipping a device without Netflix would be "commercial suicide," as one industry insider put it to The Verge.
But Netflix's control goes deeper than remote buttons and app placement. The company has built a fortress around its data, refusing to play by the same rules as competitors like HBO Max or Disney Plus. Try searching for a Netflix show on your Amazon Fire TV using voice commands, and the device simply opens the Netflix app. Do the same for an HBO Max show, and you get a detailed page with viewing recommendations from multiple services.
