Netflix (Nasdaq: NFLX) is adding another series to its nascent catalog of original content, Bloomberg reported Tuesday.
The streaming company has first rights to a comedy from Weeds creator Jenji Kohan called Orange is the New Black, and will produce 13 episodes, Bloomberg said, quoting an unnamed source.
It's the second original series for Netflix, which also has contracted for the political drama House of Cards. That series is set to stream later this year.
Netflix CEO Reed Hastings has said that the biggest threat to the company is Time Warner (NYSE: TWX)'s HBO Go. In a slide show on its website for prospective employees, the company compares itself to HBO Go and forecasts the service should grow at a rate two to three times faster than HBO in the U.S. The slide show lists five threats to Netflix, and calls HBO Go its "most direct competitor." To outperform HBO Go, the company believes it needs to "license more streaming content, and expand into original 1st window TV shows."
In addition to House of Lies and Orange is the New Black, Netflix also has exclusive rights to Lilyhammer, a program that originally aired in Norway and has committed to fund a revival of Arrested Development.
Bloomberg said the company could also soon announce a 13-episode deal with Gaumont International Television for the horror series Hemlock Grove.
For more:
- see this Bloomberg article
Related articles:
Amazon content deal with Viacom readies it to go toe-to-toe with Netflix
Startup eyeIO comes out of stealth, hits the ground running with Netflix as customer No. 1
BSkyB launching streaming service to rival Netflix in UK
Netflix Q4 results prompts surge in stock price
Netflix to make all 8 'Lilyhammer' episodes available Feb. 6
Is Verizon talking with Netflix? Depends on who you ask