Google has thought of a special treatment to try to fill its coffers through the Netflix subscriptions. In fact, from the legal battle with Epic Games it emerged that in 2017 Big G proposed one to the streaming giant “special rate” of 10% on in-app payments via the Android app (thus allowing it to retain 90% of revenues, ed.).
Google tried, Netflix refused: details on the deal proposed by Big G
Anyone who has an Android smartphone or tablet and is a fan of TV series, films and documentaries will surely know that today it is no longer possible to subscribe to Netflix via the app downloadable for free from the Play Store. In the past, however, this was not the case, because – according to a video deposition from 2022 but only broadcast in court at this time – first the company was in the red paid 15% commission.
The Los Gatos company then, after being forced to remove its payment method from the app (due to Play Store rules), decided to completely eliminate the possibility of subscribing via the app. At that point, rather than risk Netflix taking 100% of the revenue, Google stepped forward with the special 10% deal mentioned at the beginning. If this was successful, Netflix would become “a development partner of the platform” as foreseen by a program called “LRAP++”.
Netflix did not accept the proposal and does not pay Google any commission. In fact, it invites you to go to the Play Store to download the application and subscribe to the service via any mobile browser.
A Google spokesperson, reached by The Verge, confirmed everything and explained that it is normal for Google to offer different rates to developers. «It’s no secret that the Google Play Store offers a variety of pricing that takes into account […] of economics of different industries or vertical apps, such as video streaming“, he has declared. The Play Media Experiencefor example, provides that apps that offer videos, music and books can pay up to 10% commissions.
From the documents shared in the courtroom, another attempt at an agreement advanced by Google in the past also emerged. The Mountain View giant, in fact, had tried to convince Epic Games to publish the very popular Fortnite on the Play Store.
