Netflix and Warner Bros. announced on Thursday that Netflix will be adding several new Warners Bros. televisions shows to its catalog and extending its license for current WB movies until 2011. The agreement brings all 100 episodes of the popular television series Nip/Tuck to Netfilix for the next four years as well as other series including Veronica Mars, Pushing Daisies, and Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. Though this deal expands WB content on Netflix and strengthens the relationship between the two companies, the agreement still keeps in place the restriction which imposes a 28 day delay for the release of all new WB movie titles on Netflix. Full press release is after the break.
Warner Bros. and Netflix Announce Expanded Agreement Covering Streaming Content
Arrangement Extends Current Catalog Movie Deal and Adds Catalog TV Shows, Including ‘Nip/Tuck’
BURBANK, Calif. and BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., July 15 /PRNewswire/ — Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group and Netflix, Inc. (Nasdaq: NFLX) today announced an expansion of the companies’ existing streaming content agreement. The new agreement adds a slate of catalog TV shows available to watch instantly at Netflix and extends the existing license for catalog movies through 2011.
Most notably, Netflix has acquired streaming rights – for a period of four years – to all 100 episodes of the Golden Globe® Award–winning drama series “Nip/Tuck.” (Separately, “Nip/Tuck” will air simultaneously in a linear pattern on the cable network Logo via an off-cable syndication deal with Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution.) As part of its deal, Netflix has also acquired streaming rights to the series “Veronica Mars,” “Pushing Daisies” and “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles,” among others.
“Our Netflix streaming relationship is a good example of the opportunities the digital space provides to make content available in new ways at appropriate points in the product lifecycle,” said Thomas Gewecke, president, Warner Bros. Digital Distribution. “This agreement establishes an additional stop on the economic chain for our library content while providing consumers with more convenience and choice.”
“Netflix and Warner Bros. have a history of innovation and partnership,” said Robert Kyncl, vice president of content acquisition for Netflix. “This agreement breaks new ground for both of us in the area of subscription, commercial-free streaming of first cycle syndication network and cable TV shows. We are proud to make more movies and TV episodes from Warner Bros. available to Netflix members.”
“Consumers now have the ability to choose how they enjoy ‘Nip/Tuck,’ either streamed instantly from Netflix or in a more traditional linear fashion on Logo,” said Ken Werner, president, Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution. “‘Veronica,’ ‘Daisies’ and ‘Sarah Connor’ are all high-quality, critically acclaimed series with passionate fan bases but which have a limited number of episodes, preventing a more traditional syndicated rollout. Netflix can offer the consumer instant access to multiple episodes, creating a viewing experience that is a plus for serialized shows.”
Earlier this year, Netflix and Warner Bros. Home Entertainment announced an agreement under which new release titles on DVD and Blu-ray will be made available to Netflix subscribers after a 28-day window, giving Warner Bros. the opportunity to maximize the sales potential of those titles along with an extended revenue share period and Netflix the benefits of reduced product costs, significantly more units and better in-stock levels four weeks after street date. The agreement announced today does not alter the previous arrangement with regard to the 28-day window for new release titles.
Warner Bros. is currently a leader in many home video categories including total video (DVD and Blu-ray combined), Theatrical Catalog video, TV on DVD, and Blu-ray.
