> given that they're not a glorified advertising company

They're still an advertising company, just on a level people are less aware of. And they might not 'advertise' the usual products.

No they're not. Customers pay Netflix subscriptions.

There is certainly product placement. But I’d agree Netflix doesn’t feel as egregious as GOOG or FB.

> There is certainly product placement. But I’d agree Netflix doesn’t feel as egregious as GOOG or FB.

Keyword being "feel". Google and FB "felt" nice for a long time. Now, after old media smearing blitz, they don't "feel" as nice anymore.

Key takeaway: "feeling" about a corporation has very little to do with their practices and everything to do with the PR budget and loudness of screaming about them. They're all sociopathic by design.

>And they might not 'advertise' the usual products.

Based on my recent viewing history (mostly old Star Trek, first season of Blacklist and the Inspiration Four documentary) I'm struggling to see what those might be.

Well they advertise their own shows to keep you subscribed, and they also have product placement. I remember Lagavulin scotch showing up in the TV show Lost in Space for example, an incredibly out of place product placement.