Netflix In Talks For Online Streaming Of Paramount, Lionsgate And MGM Movies
By Russ Fischer/Aug. 10, 2010 5:05 am EST
Now upstart pay movie channel Epix is working on a deal to give Netflix five-year exclusive online rights to the three studios partnered with Epix: Paramount, Lionsgate and MGM.
With this deal, Netflix would have streaming rights for Disney, Sony, Relativity Media, Paramount, Lionsgate and MGM.
Unfortunately, this still doesn’t mean that movies would start streaming right after they hit DVD. That old exclusivity window for DVD availability is going to remain for a while. But what it does mean is that more films will be coming to the Netflix streaming service more quickly. The company’s online catalog has grown exponentially in the last couple years, both in terms of quality and quantity. You could do nothing but stream films from Netflix and at the rate of one per day still have a year or two worth of classics to watch. Frankly, the Netflix streaming service is a bonanza of riches right now. How long will it last at the very low monthly price point it currently holds? ($8.99 per month gets you all-access to streaming media.)
But this deal isn’t done, and there may be some resistance. The cable providers Epix is partnered with may not want the company licensing films to Netflix, as it would make the Epix channel less attractive to Netflix subscribers.
