A&E titles disappear from Netflix
According to The Hollywood Reporter, “In all, about 800 hours of content is gone from A&E as well as its History channel, while 300 hours remain, at least until an agreement expires in about the middle of next year.” This means you’re losing “Hoarders”, “American Pickers”, “Pawn Stars”, and “Storage Wars”, among others, from Netflix Instant Streaming. Netflix and A&E are still reportedly in talks, and may potentially come to an agreement, but nothing is certain yet.
Thanks to boosted consumption of TV shows through streaming media content providers like Netflix and Hulu, it’s hard to forecast how partnerships between networks and providers will evolve. The AMC Network has been at war with DISH TV for more than two months now, leaving viewers without award-winning shows like “Mad Men” and “Breaking Bad”, and there doesn’t seem to be a light at the end of the tunnel there, but, at the same time, AMC’s simultaneous $2.4 billion lawsuit against DISH may also be playing a large role in that agreement.
The Hollywood Reporter also mentions that the price tag isn’t necessarily completely to blame in halting A&E’s content on Netflix. THR’s unnamed sources say Netflix is seeking exclusivity for content, though it does not mention that which was included in Netflix’s proposition. After a few searches, I found a majority of A&E’s popular content available on Hulu, as well as for sale on iTunes and Amazon Instant Video, (plus full episodes available on A&E’s web site) so I can understand A&E’s concern with dropping multiple avenues of income.
I know that I have professed my appreciation for “Storage Wars” on a few of our episodes, but I’m not feeling a whole lot of emptiness from this loss. Yes, it’s bad news due to a level of inconvenience, but I just listed off a number of additional sources above (A&E’s web site and Hulu have full episodes posted for free) where you can find it. Plus, if you have yet to cut the cord from cable or satellite, they syndicate the Hell out of some of those shows, so you can just turn on the TV and play ‘A&E Roulette’.
I have no ill will for the programming A&E offers, but I see it as a great deal of guilty pleasure TV and filler TV. Why do people watch “Hoarders”? To make themselves feel better about themselves. That pile of dishes in the sink is NOTHING compared to this lady on “Hoarders”. Why do people watch “Pawn Stars”, “American Pickers” and “Storage Wars”? To make people think their old junk is worth some serious coin, turning them into hoarders, and generating additional subjects for “Hoarders”. That, or to create an “Antiques Roadshow” for an EXTREME generation. All I’m saying is I don’t see the loss of A&E’s content as a deal breaker between myself and Netflix.
In the grand scheme of things, not a lot of people are without A&E access, if you’re hankering for a fix … as long as you’re not using a gaming device without Internet browsing. Otherwise, you’re fine. And in case you’re wondering, yes, videos hosted on A&E’s web site work on both Android and iOS mobile devices.
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