Netflix, Not HBO, To Bring “House of Cards” To Small Screens

“Every company is a media company.” It’s the lead that won’t go away.

Today, Nelflix announced that it will deliver “House of Cards,” the much-anticipated television series and political thriller from David Fincher, to its 20 million-plus members, beginning in late 2012.

Netflix has committed to a minimum of 26 episodes of the satirical tale of power, corruption and lies, based on the book by U.K. Conservative Party Chief of Staff Michael Dobbs and the acclaimed BBC mini-series of the same name. Reset against the backdrop of modern-day U.S. electoral politics, the new one-hour drama follows an ambitious politician (played by Kevin Spacey) with his eye on the top job.

“The gripping, serialized one hour drama has become a very important part of the Netflix experience,” said Netflix Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos. “David Fincher’s unique vision, the indelible performances of Kevin Spacey and the original version of ‘House of Cards,’ all have a big following among our members, giving the series a very good chance of becoming a fan favorite.”

According to PaidContent, Netflix’s move “to fund content directly is a fairly radical step,” even though Netflix’s Chief Content Officer, Ted Sarandos, played that down in an interview today with All Things Digital.

Sarandos called the deal “traditional in its windowing, it’s just that Netflix owns the first window.”