Well, here’s some pretty amazing news for Netflix subscribers who like to stream stuff via the Watch Instantly feature. A new deal with NBC is bringing every single episode of SNL ever to the service, with new episodes being added the day after they air for at least the next three years. Holy moly.
In addition to this, Netflix Watch Instantly is getting the latest seasons of 30 Rock and The Office. Also, all of Battlestar Galactica, which isn’t comedy, but, come on.
You can’t help but see this as kind of a middle finger to Apple, who NBC is refusing to give content to for their 99-cent TV show rentals. Hell, just yesterday Jeff Zucker said “We do not think 99 cents is the right price point for our content. We thought it would devalue our content.†With this deal, people are going to be watching a hell of a lot more than 8 episodes per month of NBC shows for $8 a month, so what’s more devaluing?
Anyways, it’s all hitting the service next week. Better carve out some time for those early-80s seasons! Here’s the full press release with all of the nitty-gritty details:
Netflix and NBC Universal Announce Agreement to Stream Prior Season Cable and Broadcast TV Series New to Netflix MembersDeal Includes Prior Season Episodes from NBC, USA and Syfy Series As Well as Day-After Broadcast Of “Saturday Night Liveâ€NEW YORK and BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., Sept. 24 /PRNewswire/ – Netflix, Inc. (Nasdaq: NFLX) and NBC Universal Domestic Television Distribution today announced an expanded license agreement through which Netflix members can instantly watch a selection of broadcast series from the NBC television network and – for the first time on Netflix – content from some of NBC Universal’s popular cable channels.The multi-year deal kicks off next week and continues the relationship between Netflix and NBC Universal.The agreement adds significantly to the growing selection of movies and TV episodes that can be streamed instantly from Netflix with memberships starting at $8.99 a month. Among the highlights, Netflix members will be able to instantly watch:* Episodes from every season of NBC’s signature comedy franchise “Saturday Night Live,†including day-after broadcast of the upcoming 2010, 2011 and 2012 seasons plus hundreds of episodes from the first 35 years of “SNL.â€* Every episode from the last season of the multiple Emmy® Award-winning series “30 Rock,†“The Office†and “Law & Order: SVU,†as well as earlier seasons of those shows renewed for streaming from Netflix under the current deal.* All prior seasons – and eventually next year’s final season – of “Friday Night Lights,†the small-town drama surrounding high-school football in Dillon, Tex.* All prior seasons of USA Network hits “Psych,†the comedy featuring James Roday as a fake psychic who solves crimes with his best friend, Dule Hill; the drama “In Plain Sight,†starring Mary McCormack as a U.S. Marshal in New Mexico; as well as all seasons of “Monk,†starring Emmy® Award and Golden Globe® Award winner Tony Shalhoub in the title role. Prior seasons of all three shows are available to watch instantly at Netflix for the first time.* More than 75 prior season episodes of Syfy’s mainstay “Battlestar Galactica,†as well as prior seasons of the network’s popular series’ “Destination Truth†and “Eureka†– all streaming from Netflix for the first time.â€We are very pleased to continue our successful relationship with Netflix,†said Frances Manfredi, executive vice president and general sales manager of cable and non-theatrical sales for NBC Universal Domestic TV Distribution, who forged the deal. “We applaud Netflix for recognizing the value of content like ‘SNL,’ ‘Friday Night Lights,’ ‘Monk,’ and ‘Battlestar Galactica’ to their subscribers.â€â€œThis agreement adds meaningfully to the wide variety of content that can be streamed from Netflix and breaks new ground in our relationship with NBC Universal,†said Ted Sarandos, chief content officer for Netflix.