Netflix has had an interesting year, ranging from a new, tough-to-spell-or-remember division called Qwikster, to a Saturday Night Live spoof of that very same move, to a dropping share price, to a Starz distro deal that expires soon. Now, they have a win: 'The Artist' on Netflix before all others.
Comcast, the cable giant that owns NBC, Universal Pictures and this very web site, has also entered the streaming fray, offering Streampix to its customers. The service will bring its entire library of films (for probable use on second screens, like iPads) for $4.99 a month (cheaper than Netflix). It's further discounted for subscribers to customers with the double- and triple-play packages.
The Starz deal is a big one, what with access to Sony and Disney evaporating next week. To fill that void, Netflix has reached an accord with The Weinstein Company to stream foreign language, documentary and "other select movies," according to paidContent.org.
Starting with the Oscar favorite 'The Artist' -- a silent flick that's keeping the Weinsteins more than relevant when it comes to acclaimed films (their company had 'The King's Speech' nominated last year).
Content creators/studios are asking for more and more money to distribute their products. This deal includes for Netflix a slew of top-end, creative foreign works. And it comes on the heels of a deal made with Dreamworks Animation that allows for streaming during the pay TV window of availability.
