Online video and DVD distributor Netflix, which provides service in the U.S. and Canada, is talking with several advertising and media agencies about potential international assignments, according to sources.
Is NBC Universal CEO Jeff Zucker agreeing to deals that line the pockets of his closest allies before the Comcast takeover? That’s what some folks inside 30 Rock are saying in light of NBC Universal’s pact to sell video-streaming service Netflix fresh episodes of SNL a day after they air on TV. The move would appear to undermine Hulu in its quest to be the only place for in-season broadcast network fare. It’s all the more strange when one considers who created Hulu: NBCU.
Netflix, now the envy of the media world, had a lucrative contract with Starz that gave it cheap content. That deal is expiring, and rivals are gloating.
Disney has re-upped and expanded its online distribution deal with Netflix, allowing for some current shows on the Disney Channel to be streamed about two weeks after broadcast. Episodes of some series will be available at a minimum of 15 days after a live broadcast.
Online video provider Netflix Inc said on Tuesday its long-time chief financial officer Barry McCarthy has resigned and will be succeeded by company finance veteran David Wells, sending its shares down in after-hours trading.
Exclusives
Netflix is making an aggressive play for in-season episodes of hit TV shows to expand its Web streaming service. The company is in talks with studios about gaining access to current episodes of primetime shows and is willing to pay between $70,000 and $100,000 per episode, according to a person familiar with the matter.
With high-speed online access now becoming a household staple and various gadgets making it easier to connect high-definition TVs to the Web, Netflix is realizing it needs to evolve as Internet streaming goes mainstream.
Will the burgeoning video force hasten Hulu’s demise?
NBC briefly tore down the digital wall protecting its Olympics coverage on Thursday and permitted consumers without a pay TV subscription to watch live online a race starring American swimmers Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte. The move was aimed at appeasing critics of NBC’s strategy of delaying broadcasts of major Olympics events for primetime or requiring a cable subscription for online streaming — and could foreshadow how the network might handle its coverage of future Games.
