by Victoria Richardson

Since an adjustment of eligibility rules in 2008, online television streaming service Netflix has been the first internet-distributed network to receive nominations in top Emmy Award categories, according to USA Today.

Netflix received nominations for “House of Cards,” “Arrested Development,” and “Hemlock Grove.” Though some shows never aired on television, viewers had the chance to stream shows over the internet.

“Emmy voters recognized that great television is great television, and they didn’t pay attention to how it got there,” Ted Sarandos, Netflix chief content officer said in USA Today’s article. “[The nominations announcement] really validates Internet television as a viable form of the highest-quality entertainment.”

Many critics compare Netflix to HBO, which made its own history years ago by popularizing the concept of premium programming and recently received 108 Emmy nominations, according to the Los Angeles Times. However, Netflix is more than “the new HBO,” according to technology analyst Tim Bajarin.

“[HBO and others] all understand that delivering content on-demand to any device is the future,” Bajarin said in his Time article.”But Netflix’s leadership position at this time in history cannot be underestimated … Netflix has to be perceived as a direct threat to cable companies’ current position as the primary providers of TV and video content.”

Nexflix’s production of shows might just change our future, according to Bajarin.

“This nod from Hollywood allows Netflix to play with the big guns in the cable world and, more importantly, cements its position as the industry leader in providing OTA [meaning over the air] services that will eventually change the way most of us receive our TV and video content in the future,” Bajarin said.

Netflix is set apart from regular television and other services in that for $8 a month, you can skip the commercials.

“I don’t sell advertising,” Sarandos told the New York Times Daily News. “I’m not jockeying for a position with cable operators.”

This means that viewers can stream original Netflix shows like “House of Cards,” a political thriller that received over half of Netflix’s nominations, without interruptions. The accessibility of “House of Cards” drew viewers like sophomore Kelsi Destefano.

“[‘House of Cards’] was interesting, but also a lot about politics and…very dark political secrets.” DeStefano said.

After watching a couple of episodes, DeStefano said that Netflix’s nominations were well-deserved.

“All the actors were really good and the story was different, but it was also told really well,” DeStefano said.

“House of Cards” is Netflix’s most-viewed series, according to the Daily News, but Netflix will not reveal the exact amount of viewers of the series.

“[Netflix] won’t have any data to share,” a spokesman told the Daily News. “We’re happy with the great reception the show has had, both in the traditional media and on social media, as well as the many great reviews our members have written on Netflix.com.”

Whether it actually receives an Emmy or not, Netflix has already changed the way we watch TV. Watch out for Netflix at the 2013 Emmys Sept. 22.