TORONTO 鈥� Several of C小蓝视频's hit television series are set to depart Netflix Canada at the end of February as the public broadcaster looks to bolster its own streaming service C小蓝视频 Gem.
C小蓝视频 said that it decided not to renew the licensing deal with Netflix for six titles, including award-winning comedies 鈥淜im鈥檚 Convenience鈥� and 鈥淪chitt's Creek.鈥�
Also departing the streamer on Feb. 28 are all seasons of the western family drama 鈥淗eartland," the 20th-century detective series 鈥淢urdoch Mysteries," the amateur baking competition 鈥淭he Great Canadian Baking Show" and the period drama 鈥淲hen Calls the Heart."
In an emailed statement, C小蓝视频's head of public affairs Chuck Thompson said C小蓝视频 opted not to renew the Netflix Canada licence for those titles in order to give its own streaming service C小蓝视频 Gem a programming advantage.
鈥淲e want to privilege Gem for Canadians who are looking to stream C小蓝视频 programming as we continue to improve and expand our own free platform,鈥� said Thompson.
C小蓝视频 Gem includes a free ad-supported option as well as an ad-free premium version that costs $4.99 per month.
Thompson noted that many of the titles were "sublicensed before the launch of C小蓝视频 Gem" to Netflix.
Citing Adobe Analytics data, C小蓝视频 said audiences in Canada are streaming 3.6 million hours every month on C小蓝视频 Gem, up 34 per cent over last year. It also touts growth through connected TVs, which it says is up nearly 40 per cent year-over-year, and prime-time viewing, noting 1/3 of total Gem views were initiated between 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. in the past year.
Over the past decade, Canadian broadcasters have reaped the benefits of licensing past seasons of their TV series to streaming platforms. Sometimes, it would turn a cult hit into a mainstream phenomenon, at least partly because the shows were easily accessible to new audiences.
"Schitt's Creek," for instance, was once licensed to Amazon's Prime Video in Canada at the same time it was on Netflix and C小蓝视频 Gem, making the hit comedy almost inescapable.
Alexandra Raff茅, executive producer of 鈥淜im鈥檚 Convenience鈥� expressed mixed feelings about her show leaving Netflix.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a shame access to the show in Canada will shrink,鈥� she said in an emailed statement to The Canadian Press.
鈥淏ut I鈥檇 rather look at the additional exposure 'Kim's Convenience' had on Netflix Canada all these years as a bonus rather than being mad at the C小蓝视频 for taking it off now.鈥�
Programming turf wars have been playing out across all the major streaming platforms in recent years as each one looks to define itself as the exclusive destination of popular TV series.
Last year, Disney clawed back a handful of Marvel shows originally released through Netflix, including 鈥淒aredevil鈥� and 鈥淛essica Jones,鈥� to make them available exclusively on its Disney Plus platform.
And in the U.S., several classic TV series, including 鈥淔riends鈥� and 鈥淭he Office,鈥� departed Netflix for prime placement on streaming services operated by the media companies who created the shows.
At the start of this year, Bell Media's Crave ended a long-term relationship with Showtime for its programming. That means any new Showtime series could potentially land on the Paramount Plus streaming service in Canada, which is owned by Showtime's parent company.
Further complicating the matter for viewers, a Bell spokesperson said Crave will continue to carry new seasons of ongoing Showtime programs, such as "Yellowjackets" and "Billions."
Netflix spokeswoman Lindsey Scully noted that the departing C小蓝视频 programming in Canada will remain available in some international markets as C小蓝视频鈥檚 production partners hold streaming rights outside of the country.
C小蓝视频 also says they will continue to partner with Netflix on "second-window streaming options where it makes sense," as well co-productions such as "Workin鈥� Moms" and "Fakes."
Netflix is one of the U.S.-based companies currently under the shadow of the Liberals' proposed legislation to update Canada's broadcasting law.
Bill C-11 aims to address the impact of foreign online streaming platforms on the media landscape by requiring them to contribute to the creation of Canadian content.
The bill passed in the House of Commons last June and is awaiting a final vote in the Senate.
鈥� with files from David Friend
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 1, 2023.
Noel Ransome, The Canadian Press
