Netflix wins streaming deals from 2 studios

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Netflix, the Internet DVD rental pioneer, is gaining movies and TV shows from two big Hollywood studios — Fox and Universal Studios — for its online instant-streaming service.

The catch: It agreed Friday to wait as long as 28
days after the “street date,” giving the studios time to sell new
releases directly to consumers before they’re available on Netflix.

Copies of Twentieth Century Fox’s hit movie “Avatar,” for example, will be for sale in stores April 22, but will be released to Netflix subscribers four weeks later.

“As the home entertainment market continues to
evolve, we’re exploring new and creative approaches to distribution
with our key studio partners,” Ted Sarandos, Netflix’s chief content officer, said in a statement.

“Our intent is to forge agreements that make sense
for the companies involved and that, on the whole, improve the consumer
experience and the movie ecosystem,” Sarandos said.

The deal with Universal Studios Home Entertainment includes titles such as “It’s Complicated,” which will be in stores April 27 and available on Los Gatos, Calif.-based Netflix on May 25.

“We’re extremely pleased to have reached this mutually beneficial arrangement that will allow Netflix subscribers to continue enjoying Universal’s film content on DVD and Blu-ray,” Craig Kornblau, president of Universal Studios Home Entertainment, said in a statement.

Netflix’s
instant-streaming service is available on computers; the Microsoft Xbox
360, Sony PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii video game consoles; and other
devices, including TiVo’s digital video recorders and Apple’s iPad.

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