The issue is with value. Here's just one example. Let's say you have a TV series from the 80's. Doesn't matter it's 80+ shows, it doesn't sell at all anymore. Value is, if you look at it that way - zero. However, you have new films which aren't all that hot, but TV networks and stations are interested to buy three year rights for their geography if you package that show (and several others) with it. How do you value that show then? As part of the package pricing (not gonna happen) or as zero value? It obviously has some value, but it's hard to price it. Especially with hardcore accounting at these companies.
Another example is development and development hell. Let's consider the same show. Its value is still zero on the books. It ain't sellin', yo! For years! However, there's a script and development for a movie based on it. Trouble is, it's been in development (money gathering, mostly) for the past seven or so years. Once the movie is made and has a venue run, maybe that old IP will be of some value again... or like in the case before, as a package or gratis with the movie. Who knows?
These are just trivial examples. TV business revolves around producing 'packages'. Be it a single show of 80+ shows or packages that offer the same or anything in between. It's easier to sell it that way, because time slots can then be populated during the season easily. No one wants to buy one of anything, unless it's Star Wars or anything of that calibre. By selling those packages to TV networks and stations, with rights anything between 1-5 years (one viewing + one re-run, or unlimited re-runs) and for their particular geographical location only, distributors and studios have a constant stream of revenue. They do various combinatorics with their portfolio in order to ensure constant stream. Without geo locks and without numbers (of shows), TV networks and stations won't buy, and they are A LOT better market than one or two providers like Netflix. That's also the reason why Netflix sucks outside of US and why they're moving towards their own production (Amazon also).
I think, and I may be wrong (but I am in that business), is first you have to break that revenue model. Once producers have another model to get revenue, then options will arise to get rid of stupidities around IP. One cannot look into other directions, like music business, since production costs are magnitudes higher and most TV and film stuff produced already calculate 10-20+ years of revenue down the stream. As it is now, once you produce 80+ of anything, it's guaranteed revenue (either for that or as an added bonus for something else) forever practically. How do you break that first? They will fight that aggressively.
Aside from all that, Lynda Obst talked about ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_oHW31jQfg ) how Netflix killed DVD market and how that cascaded into what we have now, considering quality and other stuff. Interesting interview, and all true, if you're interested in the problem space from TV and Film perspective.
If Netflix put a value on 'pretty much any piece of content' and they lack said content, that tells you something, right? It's not that value. If you were making deals for IP, then you very well know where and how these deals are made. Throwing away dozens, if not hundreds, of buyers for one or two and have them dictate the value is not that business, as evidenced by catalogue at Netflix. It's a dynamic system of sales with dozens of combinations and not even owners of IP can value them properly (apart from initial runs for certain movies).
Another example is development and development hell. Let's consider the same show. Its value is still zero on the books. It ain't sellin', yo! For years! However, there's a script and development for a movie based on it. Trouble is, it's been in development (money gathering, mostly) for the past seven or so years. Once the movie is made and has a venue run, maybe that old IP will be of some value again... or like in the case before, as a package or gratis with the movie. Who knows?
These are just trivial examples. TV business revolves around producing 'packages'. Be it a single show of 80+ shows or packages that offer the same or anything in between. It's easier to sell it that way, because time slots can then be populated during the season easily. No one wants to buy one of anything, unless it's Star Wars or anything of that calibre. By selling those packages to TV networks and stations, with rights anything between 1-5 years (one viewing + one re-run, or unlimited re-runs) and for their particular geographical location only, distributors and studios have a constant stream of revenue. They do various combinatorics with their portfolio in order to ensure constant stream. Without geo locks and without numbers (of shows), TV networks and stations won't buy, and they are A LOT better market than one or two providers like Netflix. That's also the reason why Netflix sucks outside of US and why they're moving towards their own production (Amazon also).
I think, and I may be wrong (but I am in that business), is first you have to break that revenue model. Once producers have another model to get revenue, then options will arise to get rid of stupidities around IP. One cannot look into other directions, like music business, since production costs are magnitudes higher and most TV and film stuff produced already calculate 10-20+ years of revenue down the stream. As it is now, once you produce 80+ of anything, it's guaranteed revenue (either for that or as an added bonus for something else) forever practically. How do you break that first? They will fight that aggressively.
Aside from all that, Lynda Obst talked about ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_oHW31jQfg ) how Netflix killed DVD market and how that cascaded into what we have now, considering quality and other stuff. Interesting interview, and all true, if you're interested in the problem space from TV and Film perspective.