According to Bella Roussanov's article "The Netflix Effect: Television Ratings in the Internet Age", another reason that viewers are making the switch from cable to Netflix is the escape from advertisement. With Netflix, one can finish an entire series without ever encountering a dull, unwanted commercial break. This is a luxury that cable does not have. Cable makes its money from these commercial breaks while Netflix makes its money from the monthly subscription fee. 

The "anytime, anywhere" aspect of Netflix along with the lack of commercials has caused a drought in cable viewership.

The very definition of a hit has changed drastically. The 2015-2016 season claims few blockbusters, and even those hits hardly amass the viewership that past successes garnered. NBC’s Blindspot—one of this year’s top shows, according to Slate—boasts an audience of eight million; in 1995, The Single Guy pulled in 20 million viewers and was still canceled after two seasons. According to NBC, Blindspot’s ratings double when mobile streams and delayed DVR viewings are added, but even an audience of 16 million is lower than the 20 million mark that didn’t cut it for The Single Guy.

-Bella Roussanov, harvardpolitics.com

These shocking statistics show that Netflix is gradually taking over. Within just a couple years of being mainstream, Netflix has already driven millions of people away from major cable networks like NBC. In a couple more years, what will become of cable? Will cable dwindle down to nothing? Will it become strictly advertisement? Maybe the major cable networks will soon cave in and start releasing all of their shows and films solely through Netflix. 

Not only is Netflix able to stream popular TV shows and movies from cable television, they also create their own original movies and series. These Netflix originals are no mediocre performances. Many of the shows, including House of Cards, Orange is the New Black, and Narcos, are critically acclaimed and personally some of the best screenplays I have ever witnessed. 

Here are a few critic reviews of Netflix original series:

The return of Orange Is the New Black is always welcome, not merely because the series is funny and fresh and unlike anything else on television, but because it’s one of the few shows that go all in on the relationships and struggles inherent to being a woman.

-Libby Hill, Los Angeles Times

The show [Narcos] is perfectly adapted from its source material that is the news and various biopics written on Escobar as well as his family members. The way the show is interlaced with actual news broadcasts of that time is extremely well done too. Watching it, you cannot distinguish between what is fictionalized and what is real. This is simply because of the sheer brilliance of which the show is adapted.

-Walt B., aperturegames.com

It [House of Cards] has proved wildly popular, refreshing Kevin Spacey’s screen career and earning many awards.

-Nell Walker, businessreviewusa.com

Every few months, Netflix comes out with TV shows that cross over a wide variety of themes and genres, including comedies, dramas, reality shows, etc., that keep Netflix subscribers anxious for the release dates. The video above provides a teaser for some of these upcoming Netflix originals.