Warner Bros. Movies Won’t Go Straight to Netflix

Warner Bros. recently made a deal with Netflix Inc. that will stop Netflix from offering Warner Bros. new releases until 28 days after they originally go on sale.

The studio hopes that this four-week gap will convince consumers to purchase the DVD and watch it at home. Warner Bros. also has the same time gap on Redbox, the $1-per-night DVD kiosk company, and its competitors. The 28-day window was imposed on Redbox in August, which is when Warner Bros. announced they wanted to change their relationship with Netflix.

Ron Sanders, the Warner Home Video president, said, “The 28-day window allows us to continue making our most poplar films available to Netflix subscribers while supporting our sell-through product.”

Netflix Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos said, “We have been discussing new approaches with Warner Bros. for some time now and believe we’ve come up with a creative solution that is a ‘win-win’ all around.”

Other studios have also expressed concerns about Netflix—which has upwards of 11 million subscribers. It’s likely that 20th Century Fox and Universal Pictures might follow Warner Bros.' lead; both companies have also imposed time gaps on Redbox.