Showtime To Pull Current Shows Off Netflix
Showtime’s current deal with video streaming company Netflix is up in the summer, and as part of its renegotiations, the pay cable network has informed Netflix that it will no longer make its current original series available under the new pact. Right now, all Showtime series are accessible for Netflix subscribers. Showtime CEO Matt Blank talked about the network’s plans in an interview with Crain’s New York Business, which first reported the move. “With all the options out there, we want to be sure people know they have to subscribe to see Dexter or The Borgias,” Blank said. Through a Showtime spokesperson, the network clarified that under the proposed new Netflix deal, series such The Tudors and Sleeper Cell, which no longer air originals, will continue to be available to Netflix subscribers. As for current and past seasons of Showtime’s current original series, they “will be available to our authenticated subscribers via our TV Everywhere service Showtime Anytime,” the spokesperson said.
The move is part of Showtime’s efforts to protect its on-air shows and was not connected to Netflix’s announcement last week that it plans to enter the original series arena with the David Fincher-Kevin Spacey drama House of Cards.
I don’t see anything wrong with the move. Not everyone in the universe uses netflix. Showtime is right: if people want to watch certain showtime shows, then they should pay for showtime. Just like if people want to watch certain movies, they should pay for them.
Again, why are you acting as if Showtime isn’t getting money from their shows being on Netflix? People who are watching Showtime programs on Netflix ARE paying for them. Netflix costs $$$.
Netflix overpays now so they build their subscriber base and then once all the licensing deals are up from the studios, blammo – their library will go from bad to worse. Their rate card is sick.
Ever wonder why the streaming availability for ROSEBUD BEACH HOTEL is 3 years vs THE GODFATHER at 2 months?
-RnsW
Your analogy doesn’t make any sense Chad. If someone wants to watch a particular movie they shouldn’t have to buy tickets for every movie playing at a particular theater.
Oh for crying out loud … why is this industry the only one in the world that has defenders so clueless they call shopping around a thoughtcrime?
There’s no “shoulds” here. People pay the lowest price they can get for something, or they shop around for an alternative. When they have an alternative and it goes away, they’re not “thefty thieves” for being disappointed.
We bargain-hunt for cars, cereal, airline tickets, mattresses, gas and everything else. United may charge me bag fees, but it least it doesn’t waggle a finger and tut-tut me when I complain about them. Ive never been told at the pump that I was morally weak for carpooling because it deprives the content creators of income.
I’d spend more on music and movies if distributors and their defenders weren’t constantly arguing for some weird ethical entitlement to a permanent seller’s market.
Weeds is owned by Lionsgate, so this deal has no effect on Weeds being available on Watch Instant. I was very concerned about this as I am currently watching Season 5 online try to catch up.
That aside, I have little desire to pay extra for a pay cable channel, but Netflix is what turned me on to such shows as Weeds, Dexter, Lost, 30 Rock, Californication and others that I would have totally missed out on otherwise and allowed me to catch up from the previous seasons. It is a shame that Showtime is going backwards, whereas other channels like NBC have me as a watching customer for live shows that I caught up with like 30 Rock and the last 2 seasons of Lost.
Not connected Nellie? Seriously?!? LOL.
Yet another dino network that can’t see the forest for the trees. I predict the number of incremental customers who subscribe to SHO over this at under 1000. Dino networks supporting the dying cable paradigm and its attendant $100/mo pricing. Neither sustainable nor justifiable any more. Sorry dinosaurs.
Hey SHO, instead of just taking your ball and going home, maybe you should, you know, try to negotiate better pricing from NFLX. Or push the window. Pretty sure there’s a way to extract more $ effectivly. No way does it come from cable subs. That game is over. Waaaaaay over.
Showtime only allows for further cannibalization of their sub base by allowing for instant streaming on Netflix. Wait until all the other nets decide to do the same.
Matt Blank did what he had to do. Now Netflix has to step their game up and become a direct competitor. It’s just business.
I subscribe to Showtime and really only watch their programming on Netflix. I like to watch TV shows back to back, knowing that I can reach the finale of that season whenever I want.
I think I DVR’d a few episodes of Episodes, but I missed the finale and ‘downloaded’ it.
So what this notice means is that I will watch the shows I want to watch of Showtime on Netflix before the Summer. I will cancel Showtime today because I don’t really watch it. I try to watch their live sports only, and there are only a few events a year I would need Showtime. I don’t like being ‘nudged’ into subscribing to Showtime so I will boycott it. Again, I know I can watch any show I want at will.
I think cable shows should have their shows on Netflix, at least their very first season. I started watching History Channel shows on Netflix, and now watch the new episodes on cable every week.
A year ago I blew off Netflix. Now I am a proud patron and adore it. On the other hand I did subscribe to HBO and Showtime at one time and dropped both. All the best series are on cable now anyway, and so many weeknights are lame reality shows and lamer network series, and do not get me started about what a black hole Saturdays are!
So Blanks point is either to drive people to Showtime – bad plan – or to rally other networks to pull out of Netflix too. But – if Netflix is capitalized now to create their own scripted content, they may also be a solid enough bidder for high end film offerings, hang on to the bulk of their current offerings and it will be Showtime left dry on the vine.
A netflix showtime-only subscribe channel for current content would have been a win-win-win (consumer, sho, netf) move and yielded more future income for Showtime.
Showtime is simply looking for more money and this is part of the negotiations. I’m certain that when the first deal was struck, Netflix was a fleeting company and not the industry changer it has turned out to be. Netflix not only killed Blockbuster and DVD rentals, but is the standard for online streaming.
For those of us who wait to watch Dexter on Netflix, whether it’s Season 1 or 6, it’s because we’ve decided the cost of subscribing to see first run episodes is not worth it. We opt to wait for the “reruns,” which is exactly what they are!
Showtime can sell the show to whoever it wants, but my guess is that Netflix, with its subscriber base, will pay a figure in line with the value of the show in reruns.
My first reaction was “dammit”. I love “free” stuff, and really love Netflix streaming because it is so convenient.
However, look at this from Showtime’s POV. Making their series available on Netflix means people don’t have to subscribe (i.e., pay them money) to see their series. It makes sense from a business perspective to protect themselves and have people subscribe to them to see their series. It’s for that reason HBO does not allow Netflix to stream their series.
Will I be subscribing? No. I’ll just wait to rent on DVD from Netflix. But for those who want to watch (and can afford to pay for) their new series immediately and be part of the conversation, they ought to pay Showtime for the service.