Never one to rest on its streaming laurels, Netflix has struck a deal with Disney/ABC that will bring a bounty of new content to the company’s streaming customers. The new agreement will make some content available as soon as 15 days after it is first aired.
Along with the new episodes (which shows will fall under the 15-day rule has not been revealed yet), episodes from earlier seasons of such hits as Grey’s Anatomy, Desperate Housewives and Brothers & Sisters will be available. Every episode of now-defunct shows such as Lost, Ugly Betty and Scrubs will also be hitting Netflix streaming.
Ted Sarandos, Netflix’s chief content officer, offered the following on the new agreement:
“TV content streamed from Netflix has proven to be immensely popular with our members . . . Adding to our existing Disney-ABC lineup with great network and cable shows, and opening up ABC Family for the first time, are important steps in creating a wide and diverse selection of content Netflix members of all ages can watch.”
Do you think other studios will follow Disney’s lead when it comes to providing Netflix with TV episodes shortly after they air, Insiders?
(via CrunchGear)
The studios recognize the ubiquity of Netflix, and content distribution for profit is the name of the game. If the terms are favorable to ABC/Disney and not on terms dissimilar to what they offer to cable and satellite operators then it’s not unreasonable to expect the other studios to fall in line. One wonders where Hulu fits in this mix, though, especially considering its struggle to get subscribers to pay a monthly fee for extended content. Perhaps it might be more profitable for the studios in the long run to outsource distribution to entities like Netflix and get out of the online business altogether.
Until the affiliates throw a fit because they’re reruns are drawing even worse ratings than they were before.
Most of these shows can be seen online anyway at ABC.com or other sites a little while after they air, sometimes as soon as the day after. It shouldn’t be such a huge deal that the episodes are available now to be streamed.
Not in High Def they can’t. People do actually want to use their TELEVISION sets, you know, to watch television shows. Not just to play video games and watch motion pictures.
Disney seems to be one of the few smart studios out there. If you have a show, you want people to see it… because if they watch it and like it, then they’ll seek out merchandise, dvd’s, and so forth. It’s as simple as that. Hoarding your shows as if they were gold and charging an arm and a leg to enable your “customers” to view them just seems dumb.
Yay for watching “No Ordinary Family” in family w/o ATT Uverse tv/Verizon FIOS tv/Dish/DirecTV :)
err in “high def” lol WITH FAMILY!