It looks like Netflix is about to take a chainsaw to its catalog of content, according to information collected by content cataloguing site InstantWatcher. With several licensees set to expire, Netflix will begin removing content from MGM, Universal, Warner Bros., and more. Instant Watcher puts the amount of content to be removed this month at around 1,794. Some of that content include 15 seasons of South Park, older horror movies and some early James Bond films.
A representative from Netflix tells The Verge that some of these titles will begin disappearing "soon" and that letting these licenses expire is part of the company's strategy to become an "expert programmer" rather than a "broad distributor."
"The vast majority of the titles that expire on Wednesday are older features that were aggregated by Epix," a representative from Netflix said in a statement. "We recently added many great, more recent titles such as ParaNorman (Universal), Hunger Games (Epix), Safe (Epix) and Bachelorette (Weinstein). Tomorrow we will also add MI:2, among many other titles."
"Netflix is a dynamic service, we constantly update the TV shows and movies that are available to our members," the spokesperson added. "We will add more than 500 titles May 1, but we also have titles expiring, this ebb and flow happens all the time."
InstantWatcher has a full list of the content being removed here. Netflix is currently available on a variety of gaming devices including Xbox 360, Wii U, PlayStation 3, 3DS, iOS and Android devices.
Source: Polygon
Comments
Re: Netflix Removing Over 1700 Titles This Month
This only appears to affect streaming customers. My DVD queue seems unaffected. For the same cost as 1 DVD + Unlimited Streaming, you can get 3 DVDs out at a time AND you don't have to worry about entire swaths of your carefully organized queue just vanishing. Until Netflix figures streaming out, I'm sticking with DVDs.
Re: Netflix Removing Over 1700 Titles This Month
All the more reason why I'm in no hurry to get a Netflix account, preferring instead to build-up my Blu-Ray and DVD library. Sometimes they do go out of print or, as we see here with Netflix, they can arbitrarily pull titles out of circulation for whatever reason. At least if I have a physical copy, I don't have to worry about whether it'll ever be available or not.
Re: Netflix Removing Over 1700 Titles This Month
From what I hear, Warner pulled its catalog because it's doing its own digital distribution service for $10 a month.
Yeah, WB. Like anyone's going to pay more than they already do for Netflix just to access your catalog.
Andrew Eisen
Re: Netflix Removing Over 1700 Titles This Month
B-b-but competition!
Re: Netflix Removing Over 1700 Titles This Month