In its continuing quest to maintain its title of Lord of the Streaming Video, Netflix on Wednesday made a joint announcement with Disney-ABC that it would begin streaming some shows and movies from the media giant’s vast catalog. In a fortunate break from deals Netflix made earlier this year with other studios, the company will be able to stream some TV episodes as soon as 15 days after they air on TV.
Among the TV shows Netflix gets in the deal are previous seasons of ABC’s currently airing Grey’s Anatomy, Brothers & Sisters, and Desperate Housewives, as well as every episode of Lost, Ugly Betty, and ABC Studios-produced shows like Scrubs and Reaper. ABC Family content will make its debut on Netflix with Greek, Make It or Break It, Melissa & Joey, and The Secret Life of the American Teenager.
From Disney Channel come series like Phineas and Ferb, Good Luck Charlie, and expanded offerings of The Suite Life on Deck, Wizards of Waverly Place, and Hannah Montana. Wow, can anyone say add to instant queue?
As far as movies go, Disney and ABC Family are giving Netflix access to High School Musical, High School Musical 2, Camp Rock, and Beauty & the Briefcase, as well as new releases Avalon High, Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam, and Revenge of the Bridesmaids.
As part of the deal, Netflix also announced that it will be able to stream some new TV episodes 15 days after they air. However, as Business Insider notes, the company did not specify which shows this applies to, and Netflix did not return Macworld’s request for comment. All content should be available across Netflix’s expanding line of apps and devices, including the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad.
The 15-day window is good news for Netflix customers, as the company scored some bad press earlier this year by swallowing what was arguably a bad deal from Warner Bros. In the agreement, Netflix scored access to the studio’s new releases in all three significant formats: DVD, Blu-ray, and streaming. But the deal came with a hefty price tag: the company had to agree to a lengthy 28-day release window so that Warner Bros. could sell a few more physical DVDs.
Netflix has begun to place more and more emphasis on streaming in the past several months, even introducing a streaming-only subscription plan last month in addition to its existing disc-based plans..