Netflix, Hollywood Politics And The War For Streaming Movies

Even as Netflix adds Criterion movies (yes!) to its burgeoning Watch Instantly library, the studios eye their intentions ever more suspiciously, worried Netflix may be sowing the seeds of Hollywood’s destruction. Which could mean fewer movies for us.

The deal with Starz that gives Netflix (and us) streaming access to newer movies apparently arched a lot of eyebrows, and even Netflix admitted it’s gonna have to start getting permission directly for studios – probably paying more for the movies. It’s also gotta fight the entrenched window system, the strange path a movie follows from theatrical release to DVD to HBO to cable, which is how movie studios continue to pull profits out of a movie long after it leaves the big screen.

BusinessWeek makes it clear it’s not gonna be easy. But that just means I’ll be watching fewer movies. [BW]