Disney Switching To Netflix For Exclusive Film Distribution 124
An anonymous reader writes "When Disney films leave the theater and head for TV, they currently go through the Starz channel first. That's going to change in 2016. Disney has signed a deal to give Netflix the first crack at its animated and live-action films. Even if you're not a fan of either company, this is a bit of a big deal; Disney is ditching a traditional pay-TV service in favor of online streaming. (It also includes properties from the recent Lucasfilm deal.) The article wisely points out that pay-TV in general isn't in danger until the live sports situation changes, but this is a big step away from the status quo."
A Positive Move (Score:4, Insightful)
2016? (Score:5, Insightful)
Netflix vs. Starz ... (Score:5, Insightful)
Starz: $1.6 billion in revenues in 2011 and relatively stagnant.
Pretty much explains why.
Dear Netflix: don't jack up rates (Score:4, Insightful)
Don't jack up rates to pay those Disney people. We'll just move elsewhere.
— Your customers
Re:A Positive Move (Score:5, Insightful)
Unfortunately, that's not how it works. It's grab the big bucks for an exclusive deal with one content distributor and F*** the people who aren't with that one. Other studios will get their big bucks from another distributor, so the only way consumers can have it all, is to pay for Netflix, LoveFilm (do they have that in the US?) etc.
Then, of course, they wonder why the Pirate Bay was popular?
Maybe it's because they have content from everyone, not to mention, in a format that plays on anything.
Re:A Positive Move (Score:3, Insightful)
I wish that was the way it already worked.
If I want to buy laundry soap, I can buy almost every brand at almost every store.
If I want to buy, say, a video game -- I can only buy certain ones at certain places. Unlike buying groceries, I can't just take them home and use them however. So you end up requiring an account and a running installed client for Steam, Origin, GOG, D2D, Impulse, Green Man Gaming, Beamdog, Desura, etc. It's a fucking mess and it only is a problem because every mother fucker wants to be the god damn distribution king, at the expense of just making something and selling it everywhere people want to sell and buy it.
Re:A Positive Move (Score:4, Insightful)
Except that Netflix (just like the BBC service offering their shows) hasn't studied the usage patterns of its customers.
I highly doubt that is at all a correct statement for Netflix.
Your particular issue, is the same one i have, and if you actually look into why it is that way it is because the content owners don't want Netflix to have the full catalog. There is a trickle down pattern that the content creators/owners follow to maximize the revenue from a product, first it is broadcast fees for the live/first showing, then its DVD Sales/Physical rental income, then it's bargain bin distributions (which is what Netflix falls into for most of them).
Disney switching to Netflix is a big deal, and i hope that if they see the value init other content owners will see it too and switch over to them.