Netflix Signs Deal for New Paramount Movies

Netflix is taking a swipe at the pay-TV business by freshening the content on its streaming-video subscription service in Canada.

The company announced Monday a multiyear deal with Paramount Pictures for the rights to show all of the studio’s new releases in Canada before any television channels. It is the first exclusive deal for newer content on Netflix in Canada.

The service has generally been known for filling its library with movies and television shows that are well past their initial airing dates. This deal gives it the right to show Paramount movies during the window of time when they would normally appear on pay television – after theatres, hotel pay-per-view, airplanes and DVD releases, but before they reach television stations such as CTV or CBC.

“Traditionally, those [pay-TV] outlets have received first-run movies or new releases. Netflix is changing all that,” spokesperson Steve Swasey said in an interview.

The deal adds roughly 350 films to the Netflix selection for Canadian customers, beginning with Iron Man 2. The company does not disclose the total number of titles available here, though Mr. Swasey said it has increased considerably from the 7,000 movies and TV shows available when it launched in Canada last September.

Excerpt from Susan Krashinsky’s article The Globe and Mail. Click here for the full story.