Netflix ‘day and date’ distribution leaves rivals in shade

Joseph O'Halloran | 21-02-2014

With its House of Cards setting the new standard for both quality and demand, Netflix is also setting the pace when it comes to distribution to world markets, IHS Technology has revealed.

The analyst’s latest report, The Netflix effect: US distributors fast track new series to international market, found that most new US TV series take a lot longer to make their way to TV screens in the international market than through the leading over-the-top (OTT) service provider. Indeed it discovered that the average gap is 84 days.

Of the 54 new scripted TV series (drama and comedy) aired by US broadcast and cable networks in the calendar year 2013 and 1 January-10 February 2014, IHS found that 14 remain unsold in any of the key territories of Australia, France, Germany and the UK. Broadcasters in UK acquired the largest volume of these series (35), and the average gap between US and UK TV premieres was 95 days. The average gap in Australia was much lower at 32 days, but fewer TV series were sold (24).

By stark contrast, IHS TV Programming Intelligence noted, Netflix launched the second season of House of Cards simultaneously to Watch Instantly subscribers in the US and to Netflix customers in Latin America, the UK and Ireland, the Nordics and the Netherlands. This it calls ‘day and date’ worldwide TV distribution.

Attempting to discern reasons for this trend, the analyst pointed out that there are drawbacks to fast-tracking, with non-US broadcasters wanting to wait and see how successful a new show is in the domestic arena before committing to schedule it. With slots for acquired programming regarded as a rarity especially on major terrestrial channels, IHS added, distributors may find it’s against their interest to rush new properties to market if they already have a returning show already on air.

That said, the report also observed that the penny is beginning to drop with many distributors trying to make their new series available more quickly, even investing in foreign language dubs which are usually paid for by the buyers. IHS TV Programming cites Foxtel in Australia and Orange Cinema Series who are showing US series the day after they premiere in the US.