First Seasons of Sophomore ABC Shows Now on Netflix

By: Narcisse Tchouati | Sep 17, 2012

In what appears as a strategic move before their second season premieres, ABC has reached a deal with Netflix to make the first seasons of Revenge, Once Upon a Time, and Scandal available on the video streaming website by the end of this month.

The unusual move from a major broadcast network (for content that's so new) seems to be motivated by the wish to bolster the ratings and popularity of the sophomore dramas. The approach has worked for AMC's Breaking Bad and is largely expected to produce the same result here, unless of course the difference in the demographic turns out to be critical.

Once film-focused, Netflix has gradually turned its back on the type of content that justified the "flix" in its name, signing more deals with broadcast TV networks (The CW) and cable TV channels (AMC), and even developing its own original content (House of Cards, Arrested Development).

Considering that the movie streaming deal between Netflix and Starz came to an end early this year, the jury is still out on whether or not the gradual transition to TV content is the result of a careful market study or was forced upon the streaming media company by the ever more pricey license fees from movie studios. Whatever the case, a recent survey by Nielsen shows that Netflix subscribers who prefer to use the service primarily for TV viewing has increased from 11 percent in 2011 to about 19 percent this year.