From Blockbuster to Streaming: What the “Netflix Model” Really Means for Membership

The Netflix analogy has become a favourite in the membership sector. Leaders talk about “being more like Netflix” or “moving away from a Blockbuster model.” It sounds compelling, modern, inevitable. Yet when asked what this looks like in practice, the answers can become vague.

Streaming-era language without streaming-era systems does not deliver streaming-era results. To turn the Netflix aspiration into a real member experience, we need to understand what the streaming model truly represents, and how it translates to professional communities, trade bodies, and institutes.

Here are the practical lessons.

1. Membership as a continuous experience, not a once-a-year decision

For Netflix, the relationship is ongoing. You are not asked to re-assess your commitment annually. Value is delivered continuously, and your subscription rolls on accordingly. Membership organisations can take inspiration from this mindset shift:

• Reduce friction in renewal processes

• Introduce more flexible payment options

• Treat joining as entry into a service, not a transaction

The outcome is subtle yet powerful: members feel like they belong, rather than feeling like they are signed up for a period.

2. On-demand value, not scheduled value

Streaming disrupted appointment-based living. We do not wait for Tuesday night programming anymore; we access value the moment we need it. For membership organisations, this means:

• Resources, guides, templates, and learning modules available anytime

• Searchable content hubs, not hidden assets

• Automated onboarding journeys that surface relevant value immediately

Events, conferences, and networking remain vital: this is not a call to throw them out. They simply become part of a wider ecosystem where value exists every day, not only on the calendar.

3. Personalisation as standard

Everyone’s Netflix home screen looks different because the platform learns. It understands preferences, behaviour, pace, and interests. Membership organisations hold just as much insight (sector, seniority, interests, interaction patterns) yet often broadcast content uniformly. Streaming-style membership means:

• Targeted segmentation

• Recommended content journeys

• Tailored invitations and communications

• Member dashboards that feel individually relevant

People engage with what feels created for them, not everyone.

4. Constant refresh, visible momentum

A streaming platform is measured by the cadence of new value. Not just the volume but the relevance, the timing, the curation. Membership bodies can mirror this discipline:

• Publish structured release calendars

• Highlight “what’s new this month”

• Celebrate content drops and resource expansions

• Demonstrate progress and innovation

It signals a living, evolving member offer, not a static library.

5. Frictionless participation

Streaming thrives because it is effortless:

• Signing up takes minutes

• Access is immediate

• Navigation is intuitive

• Cancellation is not hostile

Membership should feel the same, i.e., confident enough in the value that it does not rely on bureaucratic barriers. This also creates an opportunity for exit insights. Streaming businesses treat departures as learning moments. Membership organisations can gain powerful intelligence the same way.

6. Engagement over headcount

The streaming economy measures success in engagement, retention, and participation intensity. Subscriber numbers matter, but active usage matters more. Membership reporting can evolve similarly:

• Track engagement depth

• Identify quiet members early

• Nurture participation gaps

• Reward interaction and contribution

This creates a relationship mindset, not an administrative one.

7. Content as infrastructure, not garnish

Streaming services succeed because content is not a side output but is the core product. That doesn't mean a membership body must produce high-budget video production. It means:

• Content is planned, managed, and treated professionally

• Quality beats volume

• Member insights and lived experience become fuel for content creation

• Content reinforces community, education, and standards

Content becomes a member benefit, not a by-product.

This model is about expectation, not entertainment

Membership organisations are not trying to entertain anyone in the way Netflix does. Nor should they. The comparison is philosophical, not literal. The streaming model is simply a shorthand for a modern expectation of value:

• Accessible

• Personalised

• Effortless

• Continuous

• Demonstrably worthwhile

Professional communities that embrace these ideas stay vibrant. Those that cling to timetabled value, rigid cycles, and legacy join-renew-depart patterns risk slowly drifting into irrelevance. Not dramatic collapse but just gradual erosion of relevance while member expectations evolve elsewhere.

The goal of borrowing from Netflix is not to become Netflix. It is to become the streaming version of your organisation, where membership feels like an ongoing, responsive, always-available asset that supports members in real time, not just once a year at renewal.

The shift is not technological first. It is philosophical: from annual membership to continuous membership value. 

Members may not queue at a physical counter anymore, yet they are still deciding whether your organisation fits into their world. Streaming taught us that convenience, relevance, and constant value win loyalty.

Membership bodies that adopt these principles are not “doing Netflix.” They are doing modern membership properly.