Netflix Takes Underhanded Shot At Idaho In New Blockbuster

Netflix is truly an amazing company. When it started in 1997, they changed how some people rented movies. Instead of going to a Blockbuster or Family Video, you could order your movies online, and they would send them to you via mail. After watching them, you'd simply return them in the mail and order your next film. They did this without late fees and the hassle of movies not being in stock. This was especially great for Idahoans in rural areas where video stores were sometimes over an hour away. Who wants to make that kind of drive in the snow for one movie? Who wants to make that drive in good weather for one movie? Not me!

You could say that in the early days of Netflix, states with a lot of rural residents kept the business afloat. If it hadn't been for Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming, who knows if Netflix would have survived until 2007, when they started streaming their content. Being able to stream content at home instead of having to wait for it to arrive in the mailbox changed everything. It allowed us to get instant gratification and allowed Netflix to cut the cost of mailing DVDs all over the country.

Then, in 2015, it got into producing its own original programming. Now, over half of the titles on Netflix are their own. There are now over 3,670 original movies, shows, and specials on Netflix. They spent over $17 Billion Dollars on original content in just 2024.

As Idaho did in 1997, we continue to be avid Netflix supporters, paying the monthly fees, even when they increase prices, watching their shows and movies, and installing their app on all our devices.

We don't know how much Netflix spent on their latest movie, The Union. With a cast that includes Halle Berry, JK Simmons, and Idaho favorite Mark Wahlberg, it couldn't have been cheap. The action movie has been the most streamed movie since its release on August 16th. Idahoans watching the film must be prepared for the explosions, the fun and excitement that the movie brings, and a gut punch.

In one scene, two characters are talking about a government negotiation with a terrorist when one government official jokes that they might have to sell one of the states to pay for this operation. JK Simmons's character says, "I think we could lose Idaho. Nobody'd notice." When the price rises, he quips, "There went Boise!"