I guess I missed this from a few weeks back, but it is big news for those of us that use our consoles to stream
Netflix. Apparently, Netflix is paying close to $1 Billion dollars over the next five years to get access rights to Epix, the pay channel that was formed by MGM, Lions Gate and Paramount last year that will start streaming effective September 1st.
According to the Yahoo Finance article, the first batch of movies to be streamed will include "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra," "The Pink Panther 2" "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" and the entire "The Godfather" series. The next batch of available titles will include “Iron Man 2” and “Star Trek.” As far as new movies, it appears that Netflix will get them 90-days after they debut on Epix, which is added to the usual one-year wait after the theatrical release. The movies will be available for streaming for approximately 16-17 months, and then the rights will revert back to basic-cable (i.e. Spike, VH1, etc.)
Personally, with the expansion of Netflix and the addition of Hulu, the console is getting even closer to becoming a one-stop entertainment shop. The only issue I see is all the miscellaneous subscription Fees. What would be extremely attractive is to see Microsoft roll out another tier of Xbox Live that include all you can eat subscription for what is available today, and what is coming tomorrow.
