Netflix, Rogers to produce TV series
Netflix Inc. is making an unusual pairing with a Canadian broadcaster, and its rival video-on-demand service, to deliver the original survivalist thriller series Between.
The U.S. streaming video provider says it will partner with City stations, owned by Rogers Communications Inc., to produce six episodes of the show.
Under the agreement, City will air the series first in Canada and Rogers will make it available on its Shomi VO D service, which launches later this fall in collaboration with Shaw Communications Inc.
Netflix will have the streaming rights for Between outside of Canada, and after a year, the company will be able to stream the series on its Canadian service.
Between is billed as a story about a town that’s at the centre of a mysterious disease that’s killing everyone who’s over 21 years old.
It was created by Michael McGowan, director of homegrown films like One Week and Saint Ralph, and stars Jennette McCurdy from Nickelodeon TV series iCarly and Sam & Cat.
“Teaming up with Rogers on Between is a tremendous opportunity to work with a creative partner in Canada to bring our global viewers top-notch content,” said Erik Barmack, Netflix’s vicepresident of global content, in a release.
Shomi was created as an answer to Netflix’s growing popularity within Canada. The streaming platform, which is slated to launch in November, will initially be available only to customers of the two cable companies.
“The smarter players in the world are taking opportunities to reach out and partner with those in the business that are the disrupters,” Greg MacDonald, an analyst with Macquarie Group Ltd., said in an interview. Companies like Rogers are taking an “if you can’t beat them, join them approach to make sure they understand the disruption trends and they don’t suffer,” he said.
While this marks Netflix’s first original Canadian production, the Los Gatos, Calif.based company films the horror series Hemlock Grove in Ontario, and recently bought the exclusive rights for two new seasons of Trailer Park Boys.
Last month, Netflix sparred with the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission over whether it can be regulated like its TV competitors, suggesting its video streaming service did not fall under the Broadcasting Act since it is not a conventional broadcaster.
If Netflix was under the Broadcasting Act it would be required to make certain financial commitments to Canadian content.
The regulator ordered Netflix to provide information related to its business operations in Canada, including the number of Canadian subscribers and how much money it spent producing Canadian video content, however, the company refused to supply the data, saying it was considered private corporate information.