Yesterday, Netflix announced a deal that will add films from Lions Gate, Paramount, and MGM to its online subscription service. The deal, a five-year, multi-million dollar arrangement with little-known company EPIX, will allow Netflix to compete with cable and satellite TV companies for consumer’s digital media dollars.
This deal is a symptom of a much larger shift in the film industry: digital distribution is quickly becoming mainstream. Frankly, it’s about time. Previous models of film distribution tend not to be very favourable to films that fall too far outside the mainstream; for instance, many of the films we review are only get festival releases or are shown in a limited number of theatres. Digital distribution has the potential to change that.
– Dave Robson