Netflix Launches U.S.Plan for Streaming Movies & TV Shows Over the Internet

[TheForce]

More surprises-

Netflix flexes its muscles with ABC
10:16a ET December 8, 2010 (MarketWatch)

NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- Who has the juice right now in Hollywood?

Netflix, of course.

Boasting strong growth, Netflix is now flexing its muscle in Hollywood with an announcement that the Internet film company has struck an agreement with Walt Disney to permit subscribers to gain access to hundreds of episodes of ABC, Disney Channel and ABC family 15 days after the shows are seen on TV. See related story on Netflix.

The move gives Netflix further entree into the television industry, underscoring its success. Netflix now boasts nearly 17 million customers, which in turn gives ABC and the other Disney properties a path to potentially higher numbers of viewers.

The deal also points to increased cooperation between entertainment operations.

Hollywood seems to be in the grip of a spirit of cooperation, fueled by the pressures brought on by the weak global economy over the past several years.

The pact also shows the need for entertainment companies like ABC to embrace the technologically advanced firms such as Netflix. Isn't mutual need a wonderful thing in Hollywood?

Netflix inks streaming deal with Disney
10:02a ET December 8, 2010 (MarketWatch)

NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- Staking a further claim in the changing broadcast landscape, Netflix Inc. said Wednesday that it had reached a deal with Walt Disney Co. to stream television shows over the Internet, yet Netflix shares spun southward after a stock downgrade.

Financial terms of the Netflix-Disney agreement were not disclosed.

Shares of Netflix, though, were in retreat in the day's initial trades, following a downgrade to hold from buy, calling the stock's valuation "full."

Netflix said it will stream hundreds of episodes from the ABC Television Network, Disney Channel and ABC Family.

Episodes can be streamed with Netflix memberships starting at $7.99 a month. Shows will be available no more than 15 days after their initial telecast.

Netflix has been making waves with its increasing share of viewership for movies and TV episodes. The company announced earlier this year that its streaming business had overtaken its physical DVD-rental business.

Last week, Netflix Inc. said it cut a deal with FilmDistrict, a movie distribution, production and financing company, to stream first-run films over the Internet shortly after they are released on DVD.

Movies that are distributed by FilmDistrict will be licensed to Netflix for streaming a "few months" after their release on DVD. Under terms of the pact, motion pictures that are now licensed to premium cable channels will go from FilmDistrict to Netflix instead. See more on Netflix streaming of first-run films.

Shares of Netflix slipped 3% at the open Wednesday. In addition to its downgrade by Jefferies, Netflix had announced late Tuesday that Chief Financial Officer Barry McCarthy is stepping down and will be succeeded by David Wells. Read more about CFO change at Netflix.

The company's chief executive officer, Reed Hastings, was a finalist this year for MarketWatch's CEO of the Year. Read the CEO special report.

 

[TheKrell]

I am having a serious problem with my brand new Zotac Zbox Atom/Ion HTPC when streaming Netflix. I can't! Neither the IE client nor Media Center will show me anything; they both pop up a DRM error message complaining about the date (which is correct). The Netflix TSR told me I needed a newer version of Silverlight. It turns out I'm at the latest/greatest for 64-bit Windows, and I can't deinstall the darn thing either. (Windows Explorer hangs.)

Got any ideas on how to further troubleshoot Silverlight on W7/64-bit?