Acquiring Netflix: Analysts discuss Apple, Comcast and Google as potential suitors

Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX) may be holding fast to its independent company status, but that's not preventing analysts from speculating that it could be an acquisition target for a host of content and cable providers.

Among the potential suitors are Alibaba, Google (NASDAQ: GOOG), Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) and Comcast (NASDAQ: CMCSA).

Sam Bookman, editor of FierceOnlineVideo, examines the potential acquisition scenarios that these companies could take if they were to launch a bid for the online video giant in a new column.