Showtime Pulling Content from Netflix Instant

Showtime Pulling Content from Netflix Instant

Entertainment News

By our guest blogger, Nick Hanover

If you've been enjoying getting original Showtime content without having to deal with the ridiculous waste of time and money that is cable and instead going through Netflix Instant then Deadline has just ruined your day. With Showtime's deal with Netflix ending in the summer, it seems the network has decided to make some big moves while renegotiation is ongoing, specifically pulling all of their current shows from Instant. That means programs like "Dexter" will no longer be available, including prior seasons of the show. Fortunately, shows that are no longer airing on the network, like "The Tudors" will remain available to viewers.

There are a few factors at play in this move by Showtime, the most notable being that the network is trying to bring attention and viewers to its own streaming TV Everywhere service Showtime Anytime. It makes sense that Showtime would prefer viewers go through their own site rather than send them elsewhere and lose subscribers and potential revenue. But there's also the strong possibility that Netflix's decision to enter the original series market is at play, even though Deadline claims it isn't.

Since Netflix is now potential competition for Showtime and other cable networks, there's little reason for Showtime to throw Netflix a bone and allow them to use their programming. Whether other networks will pull the same move has yet to be seen but it seems very likely.