Netflix/ABC/Disney streaming deal will bring TV all-you-can-eat to Apple TV
If the cheap $99 price tag of the Apple TV hasn't persuaded you to buy one of the tiny media centers yet, perhaps this news of a new deal between Netflix and The Walt Disney Company will make you reconsider.
Netflix is one of the content providers for the Apple TV, streaming a growing library of old and new movies and TV shows to subscribers who are paying a minimum of US$7.99 per month for instant access. Now the LA Times is reporting that ABC's parent, The Walt Disney Company, has reached a one-year agreement with Netflix to stream shows from ABC, The Disney Channel, and ABC Family to Netflix customers.
The deal, which is worth an estimated $150 - $200 million to Disney, will give Netflix subscribers access to previous seasons of shows such as Ugly Betty, Grey's Anatomy, Brothers & Sisters, and Lost. In addition, subscribers will be able to view some shows that have aired only 15 days before.
As noted in the LA Times blog post, the deal is sure to upset traditional cable TV, satellite TV, and telecom operators, all of whom see Netflix and Hulu as encroaching on their turf. The Disney deal comes after earlier Netflix arrangements with NBC and Warner Bros. Apple CEO Steve Jobs is the largest single shareholder in The Walt Disney Company, and serves on the company's board of directors.
[via Fast Company]
