Netflix just hammered out new deals with both Fox and Universal movie studios. The big news is that new-release DVDs from those two studios won’t be available right away on launch day any more. Instead, there will be a 28-day window in the interest of granting the studios “a dedicated time period for sales of its physical and digital offerings,” according to the press release.
In return for the deal with Universal, Netflix gets “reduced product costs, significantly more units and better in-stock levels,” along with being able to stream more Universal content, although no mention is made as to how much more or which titles will be stream-able.
The Fox deal is a little more clear. Same 28-day hold on new releases but in return, Netflix subscribers will get “a first-time streaming license for Fox TV shows that includes complete prior seasons of several blockbuster television series.” And guess what’s the first movie to be affected by the 28-day hold? A little picture called Avatar. It’ll be available on DVD and Blu-ray April 22nd, but Netflix subscribers will have to wait until May.