Netflix uses pirate sites to figure out what shows to buy

This week Netflix rolled out its video streaming service in the Netherlands where it hopes to build a massive user base in the years to come. One of the keys to achieve this goal is getting the rights to the most popular movies and TV-shows, and this is where pirate sites come in. Netflix Vice President of Content Acquisition Kelly Merryman says that popularity on file-sharing platforms determines in part what TV-series the company buys.

Video streaming giant Netflix sees itself as one of the most prominent competitors to the many pirate sites that offer video content without owners’ permission.

However, these pirate sites also offer Netflix valuable information as to what video content they should acquire for their service.