Netflix and Discovery Communications renewed their licensing agreement Wednesday, agreeing to make an expanded selection of seasons from Discovery’s shows available for streaming.
Discovery, which owns the Discovery Channel, TLC and Animal Planet, among others, extended its non-exclusive pact with Netflix for two more years.
“Discovery Communications has always been platform agnostic and committed to satisfying curiosity on all consumer distribution platforms supported by a strong economic model,” Rebecca Glashow, senior vice president, Digital Distribution, Discovery Communications said in a statement. “We are pleased to renew this agreement with Netflix, which provides us with programming flexibility and lets loyal and potential fans catch up and discover content.”
TV contracts such as these are increasingly important to Reed Hastings’ company as movie studios migrate towards other options, such as HBOGo or UltraViolet.
Ever since Netflix announced its new pricing plan in July, it has faced not just a public outcry but also the prospect of a diminishing movie catalog. Netflix's deal with Starz recently collapsed, further limiting its cinematic options.
Chief content officer Ted Sarandos was forthcoming about the importance of television to his company, in particular the streaming service.
“With television shows playing an ever more important role for Netflix, Discovery is one our finest suppliers of top quality programming. We look forward to bringing our members the wide range of the additional episodes and series covered in this deal,” Sarandos said in a statement.
