Time Warner’s HBO is unlikely to strike a deal that would give Netflix access to more online movies.
The premium network holds cable and Internet rights to films from Warner Bros., Twentieth Century Fox and Universal Pictures and is unlikely to agree to a deal with Netflix’s online streaming service, HBO co-president Eric Kessler told Bloomberg
Instead, he remains focused on making content available online itself via its HBO Go service.
“There is value in exclusivity,” Kessler said. Consumers “are willing to pay a premium for high quality, exclusive content.”
Netflix last week agreed to pay close to $1 billion annually to premium channel Epix in a five-year deal covering online rights to films from Paramount Pictures, Lionsgate and MGM.
Netflix CEO Reed Hastings has said he wants HBO as a supplier, too, after already having reached deals with virtually everybody else.
“We would love to do a deal as well with HBO,” said a Netflix spokesman. “Compete with us or collaborate with us, but we would much rather work with them.”
