

Beware, Netflix fans, it's not just your imagination, the Netflix library is actually quite a bit smaller than it used to be.



A recent report by Exstreamist found that the Netflix library has decreased over 50% since 2012, falling from 11,000 titles in their library to just over 5000 this month.



Netflix has been pretty open and transparent about their plans to focus more on providing original content, and this includes a pivot away from relying on third party content. The move has certainly paid off for Netflix, as they have seen a continual rise in subscriber numbers as shows like 'House of Cards' and 'Daredevil' have gotten plenty of critical praise to bring in new users.



But what about keeping all these folks happy?



It has definitely felt as of late that our Netflix library just isn't what it used to be. Sure, the quality is great for a small portion, but until recently it always felt like we could spend an hour browsing the Netflix library struggling to pick a movie because there were so many to choose from. Now it feels like the struggle exists because the selection just isn't that great.



However, even after a small price increase earlier this year, Netflix still feels like a great value. It's hard to argue with paying $10 a month for what normally amounts to at least 10-20 hours of entertainment. And let's not forget that this consumption all comes ad-free, a major perk of the streaming service.



So what is Netflix to do in this situation? They're kind of stuck between a rock and a hard place, as over the past few years, it's not as if Netflix wants to remove all of these titles. There are now third party content owners who just will no longer play ball with the streaming service, instead focusing on providing their own streaming options for a small monthly subscription.



Netflix shouldn't overpay for this content, else there wouldn't be enough money to continue building out their own original content library. But the tough thing here is, sure, while a show like 'Orange is the New Black' is great, paying for the entire creation of the series is expensive and the re-watch value isn't necessarily there. Once a subscriber watches the show, it's not likely they'll go back and stream it again. With third party content, it's possible to cycle through new choices routinely to keep the library looking fresh.