Netflix Hits “Start Over” on Popular ABC Series

Netflix Watch Now Abc

Netflix is on a roll. In addition to the fact that the movie rental service may be launching an iPhone/iPod app in the future, Netflix announced a deal with Disney today to add ABC shows to its list of Watch Now content. As NewTeeVee reports, the first five seasons of Lost, seasons four and five of Desperate Housewives, season five of Grey’s Anatomy, and seasons one and two of The Legend of the Seeker will all be available. That’s on top of TV shows from NBC and CBS.

The concept of “Start Over” for a TV series (minus the commercials) is something Netflix virtually pioneered. Instead of going out and buying or renting a season of a television show you want to try out, Netflix has made it easy for years now to let you sample a series with DVDs that arrive in your mailbox. Not only great for consumers and for Netflix, it’s a move that has been good for major content owners as well. Why not convert new viewers by catching them up on an entire series? The Watch Now feature only makes it easier.

It’s interesting to me that cable and telco operators haven’t followed the Netflix trend more closely with their VOD offerings. There have been occasional exceptions, like offering season one of Mad Men before season two began, but for the most part, the VOD libraries consist of recent TV episodes rather than archived content. I believe this is an issue with licensing agreements more than anything else, but it would be nice to see it rectified.

5 thoughts on “Netflix Hits “Start Over” on Popular ABC Series”

  1. this is exactly how i got into watching weeds and californication. getting through the end of each of the first seasons made me put the other seasons in my queue.

  2. Just got a new Samsung Bluray thatsuppprts Netflix Streaming. The implementation is impressive and the Watch Now titles are improving. If you have kids try have some great children movies and tv shows available to stream. This is where it makes it worth my money.

  3. Just watched all of Californication Season 1 over the last week on Netflix and TiVo/Roku. Loved it. We’ll definitely be subscribing to Showtime once Dexter and Californication (Season 3) pick up this fall and will purchase Season 2 on Amazon VOD this week. Also, we’re about 2/3rd through Leverage S1 – it’s cute. I’ll buy the box set of DVDs for my mom. More networks and the industry need to learn how this drives sales and to put their stuff online or ondemand in its entirety.

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