Some Sony films return to Netflix-Xbox service

Nov 27, 2008

Apparently Netflix and Sony have solved some of their licensing issues. An unknown number of films from Sony Pictures that disappeared last week from Netflix's streaming service for the Xbox have returned, but still no word on when the rest might be back.

Steve Swasey, a Netflix spokesman, has declined to discuss licensing deals with specific movie studios since last week, after Xbox owners complained that Netflix' streaming service was no longer offering Sony films on the console. Swasey said some of the movies have returned but not all.

"We said earlier that titles come and go," Swasey told CNET News. "That is part of the natural ebb and flow (of these licensing deals). Some titles are back while some are not."

Immediately after the Sony films disappeared, the blogosphere began accusing Sony, the maker of the PlayStation video game console, of trying to stick it to rival Microsoft, the maker of the Xbox. What really happened was Netflix didn't have a licensing deal with Sony that covered the Xbox and several other boxes that offer Netflix's streaming service, according to my film industry sources.

Sony films will no doubt be back on Xbox as soon as the studio and Netflix can come to terms. The big question I have is why Netflix didn't have these deals in place well before now?

Source: Cnet