Content Beats Distribution (again): Disney Wants More $ for Netflix Streaming
This should come as no surprise: content providers want more $$ from distributors for streaming titles. This is what Disney is asking for, threatening to pull their titles from Starz, which is what Netflix uses for streaming of many of its new release titles.
I'll say it over and over and over again: when distribution is cheap and fragmented, as it currently is, content owners have the leverage. And as long as that's the case, Netflix is going to get squeezed and will ultimately need to raise prices. Look, at the end of the day, a piece of quality content ought to cost consumers the same whether it's watched on Comcast, DirecTV, VOD, streaming online, on mobile, etc. It's the content that has the value, not the means of distribution. Here's the Disney / Starz / Netflix story: http://newteevee.com/2010/01/15/bad-news-for-netflix-disney-wants-more-for-streaming-wall-e/
