Netflix popularized the model of owning shows outright, but now streamers are reconsidering licensing.
But now those walls are beginning to come down at competitors like Amazon, Apple, and Warner Bros.
Under the cost-plus model championed by Netflix, the streamer paid more for shows upfront than legacy TV platforms had traditionally paid.
But as part of those rich deals, Netflix retained future licensing rights, depriving producers of windowing opportunities — i.e., syndication or foreign distribution rights — that could fund future projects.
Now, with Hollywood entering a new phase of penny-pinching , the entertainment giants are easing up on exclusive ownership of content.
Persons:
WBD, Bob Iger, Sean Furst, they're, Furst, There's, we'll
Organizations:
Netflix, Producers, Apple, Warner Bros, Hollywood, Disney, Discovery