Netflix to lose Starz

[corruptrelic]

Premium cable network Starz Entertainment will end its deal to provide movies to Netflix, a surprise decision that will deprive the popular online video service of its most valuable source of recently released movies.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2011/09/netflix-to-lose-starz-its-most-valuable-source-of-new-movies.html

Major blow for Netflix. I'll be the first to admit the main reason I joined Netflix instant streaming was because they carried Starz originals in particular Spartacus (and later Camelot). Was disappointed when Netflix had a 3 month wait period on the new shows, but eventually I got around to catching all of Camelot season 1 on Netflix.

With my main reason of joining Netflix now gone - topped off with their recent price hike, I'm going to have to reconsider whether I continue my membership with them.

[DarkEL]

agree with that - luckily they'll still have the Starz content until February - so I'll give them until then to see if they are able to swing any other deals. Otherwise - not sure sure it would be worth the additional money.

[leo8877]

Yeah seems like most of the good streaming is from Starz.

[Calavera]

Meh. I haven't watched Spartacus (Though I like Lucy Lawless) and Camelot just didn't interest me. Past that, it looks like quite a bit of their content is really Disney's content (via their various labels, primarily Touchstone), in which case I'd rather them take the $300MM and give it to Disney directly instead of paying an intermediary. Hopefully we'll hear another deal with Disney for their Touchstone Pictures back catalog. They already have a deal for their Disney Channel content.

The comments from Reed Hastings (Netflix CEO) on Business Insider are pretty telling. Starz just didn't have the content rights they are worried about anymore.

[EngineNo9]

Yeah seems like most of the good streaming is from Starz.

Really?  I always felt that it was the rare "Starz Play" that wasn't a mediocre movie I had already seen years ago.

[Ralph-Wiggum]

Starz play was never great (especially since the movies weren't in HD), but I did enjoy Spartacus and Party Down.

[hepcat]

I used Starz for watching films I'd already seen and loved from the past.  Not sure how many new titles they offered beyond the scripted series they produced.  It'll be interesting to see how many films actually do drop out of my queue after the contract ends, though.  Netflix is saying Starz represented only about 5 percent of their total offerings in streaming, but that may just be spin.  Honestly, I'm surprised Netflix is able to get anyone to contract with them in light of the increasingly lucrative streaming options outside netflix being offered nowadays.

[Sparhawk]

My largest beef with Netflix is that they NEVER have new movies available for streaming the day that they're released. I wanted to watch "Troll Hunter" this week and it is only available via physical disk. 

[CeeKay]

I looked at my instant queue and saw I'd probably lose 2 titles out of 400-ish others.  besides, with Torchwood probably dead after this season and Camelot already gone there's not much they show that I'm concerned with.

[corruptrelic]

Jupiter's cock! Aren't you forgetting something?

[CeeKay]

Jupiter's cock! Aren't you forgetting something?

sadly I was never able to get into Spartacus.  something about the style they used to film it didn't feel right to me.

[hepcat]

Jupiter's cock! Aren't you forgetting something?

sadly I was never able to get into Spartacus.  something about the style they used to film it didn't feel right to me.

The first couple of episodes didn't convince me.  I don't think they're indicative of the true nature of the series.  Later though it becomes a great show.

[CeeKay]

Jupiter's cock! Aren't you forgetting something?

sadly I was never able to get into Spartacus.  something about the style they used to film it didn't feel right to me.

The first couple of episodes didn't convince me.  I don't think they're indicative of the true nature of the series.  Later though it becomes a great show.

I liked the story enough for the first few episodes, it was just something they did with the filming that made me twitchy.  it's hard to describe, the best I can put it is that it felt like the whole show was skipping frames no matter what I tried to watch it on.

[Alefroth]

My largest beef with Netflix is that they NEVER have new movies available for streaming the day that they're released. I wanted to watch "Troll Hunter" this week and it is only available via physical disk. 

Who has them available for streaming day of release?

Ale

[PR_GMR]

Crappy news. I just downgraded to Netflix Streaming Only today, and I was counting on those Starz releases to keep me happy with my decision. Oh well, at least Starz won't run out until February. I'll supplement my movie watching with Blu-Rays from Redbox. I'm just trying to hold back from that new pricey Netflix Unlimited DVD + Streaming option for as long as I can, as that would be almost 20 bucks a month for me.

The thing that's gonna somewhat-suck is I want to see some old catalogue title that neither Netflix has on Streaming and Redbox won't carry.. like artsy foreign. Gonna have to go back to my local indie video store to watch those.

[Ironrod]

My largest beef with Netflix is that they NEVER have new movies available for streaming the day that they're released. I wanted to watch "Troll Hunter" this week and it is only available via physical disk. 

Who has them available for streaming day of release?

Ale

I think they're contractually restricted to waiting 30-90 days after the DVD release. There are still people who buy DVDs.

[ATB]

Looks like they've reduced to the number of instances that you can have at one time to a single viewing.

Meaning: you can only stream one show at at time regardless of how many netflix ready devices you have.  What garbage.

[DarkEL]

Looks like they've reduced to the number of instances that you can have at one time to a single viewing.

Meaning: you can only stream one show at at time regardless of how many netflix ready devices you have.  What garbage.

Oh now that sucks!! I like to watch netflix on my iPad when I travel but would hate to have to coordinate watching times with the family back home.

[Harkonis]

that's one of the only things they could have done to make it worthless to me.  We use it on three iphones and a 360/PC setup and having to make sure nobody is watching before starting to watch is too much hassle.

[EngineNo9]

Depends on your membership:

Some membership plans allow you to watch simultaneously on more than one personal computer or Netflix-ready device.
If you are on the Unlimited Streaming plan, the Unlimited Streaming + 1 DVD out-at-a-time plan or a limited streaming plan, you may watch only one device at a time.
If you are on the Unlimited Streaming + 2 DVDs out-at-a-time plan, you may watch on up to two devices at a time. Members on the Unlimited Streaming + 3 DVDs out-at-a-time plan may watch on up to three devices at a time. The maximum is four devices at a time -- available for members on the Unlimited Streaming + 4-or greater DVDs out-at-a-time plan.

[Hrothgar]

So what would be the best way for them to prevent unethical people from sharing their streaming accounts?

[Harkonis]

add microtransactions from within the app so that you only share with people you trust with your account.

[corruptrelic]

Rumor has it Dish/Blockbuster might begin offering a streaming service next month that will include Starz:

http://news.cnet.com/8301-30686_3-20101181-266/dish-blockbuster-to-take-on-netflix-with-streaming-report/

[pr0ner]

Starz = 

[ravenvii]

Yep, this sucks balls. Hopefully other "premium" channels will make deals with Netflix and leave Starz feeling left out and force them to come crawling back. 

Though this won't affect me at all for the time being - I'm going to lose streaming in a couple of weeks when my billing cycle is up - I'm sticking with DVD-only (much more movies available + more reliable captions/subtitles)

[pr0ner]

Actually, my thumbs down to Starz was because the quality of their "Starz Play" movies was utter shit.

[Einsteinium]

IMO,

Netflix may see more of this. It may even be the end of this service, giving rise to something else entirely. They based their business model on reaching as many people as they could, with unsustainable costs. Now that they've done that, they hope they can keep enough content and customers to continue. Public opinion and media-owning service providers could easily save or kill Netflix if the industry direction goes one way or another.

That's why I invest in Gold/DVDs/Blu-Ray.

[hepcat]

IMO,

Netflix may see more of this. It may even be the end of this service, giving rise to something else entirely. They based their business model on reaching as many people as they could, with unsustainable costs. Now that they've done that, they hope they can keep enough content and customers to continue. Public opinion and media-owning service providers could easily save or kill Netflix if the industry direction goes one way or another.

That's why I invest in Gold/DVDs/Blu-Ray.

I think streaming media will still overtake dvd/blu ray at some point in the not too distant future.  However, i don't think the model that netflix has built itself upon will hold up.  i think you're right in speculating that we're seeing the end days of the service as we know it.  my guess is that it will either morph into a repository of straight to video movies that can't afford retail distribution or placement with other, more focused streaming services, or it will cease to exist.

I do think we'll see some more streaming services arise in the next few years (or even months).  This started a while ago with PSN and Xbox, but they offered a rental service and not a subscription based one.  I'm guessing the major studios will offer exclusivity to the providers that give them the best rates and we'll see a division of content in the market by studio. 

[Isgrimnur]

Not too distant future?  Sure.  Near future?  I doubt it.  The network providers are too busy trying to figure out how to charge you more while capping and throttling the service that they provide now.  And perhaps they're victims of their own success as well with broadband adoption rates, but I don't hear too many stories out there about them trying to increase overall network capacity to provide better service.  If they are, they need to fire their PR arm.

[hepcat]

Not too distant future?  Sure.  Near future?  I doubt it.

Hence my use of the term "not too distant future" instead of "near future".