Orange Is The New Black Watched By More People Than HBO’s Game Of Thrones?

Are more people flocking to Netflix than to cable network HBO? It’s being reported that Netflix’s Emmy nominated show Orange is the New Black is watched more than HBO’s beloved Game of Thrones — sort of.

According to CNN, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings reacted to the report that subscriptions to Netflix are slowly but surely creeping up on the top competitor HBO. This means that the subscription-based streaming service is asserting itself as a real contender with the big boys of cable despite only starting with original television content a year ago with the Emmy nominated series House of Cards.

Hastings said in a Facebook post:

“They still kick our a– in profits and Emmy’s, but we are making progress. HBO rocks, and we are honored to be in the same league. (yes, I loved Silicon Valley and yes it hit a little close to home.)”

A report came out that Netflix had a better second quarter than HBO. Their revenue was $1.146 billion compared to HBO’s at $1.141 billion. This means that Netflix is the top dog of the quarter, and it’s most likely due to the boost in original content, which saw the second season of the hit show Orange is the New Black.

According to Netflix, they now have 50 million subscribers globally which includes 36 million subscribers in the United States, where HBO has 127 million subscribers. It’s still the top dog in many markets, but for an infant in original programming, Netflix is making a big impression and is changing the way we watch television.

Although HBO is a huge competitor for Netflix, the streaming service did admit that the cable network is a model for them. According to Netflix, they want to “become HBO faster than HBO can become Netflix.”

As for Netflix’s originally programming, Orange is the New Black is making big waves. The immense popularity has brought huge changes for the cast from a celebrity standpoint and a culture one as well. The show made its cast of relative unknowns and some industry veterans overnight social media sensations. Orange is the New Black’s transgender actress Laverne Cox was the first transgender actress on the cover of Time magazine and has used her platform to speak out for the often-voiceless community in the LGBT.

Additionally, Orange is the New Black has changed the conversation about what roles women can take on in the entertainment industry and has since validated the power of a television show that’s run by women from the ground up.

Currently, Netflix series has nabbed 12 Emmy nominations for their first season and is expected to make quite the splash at the award ceremony.

[Image via Bing]