Saturday, August 4, 2018

Disney’s failure to get Star Wars back highlights a major roadblock in the coming streaming wars

Yesterday, Bloomberg reported that Disney had approached Turner Broadcasting, which currently holds the rights to broadcast the majority of the Star Wars films, looking to buy back the rights to stream the franchise on its forthcoming streaming service, only to be roundly rebuffed. The incident highlights a problem that other media companies will no doubt face as they work to establish their own streaming services: navigating a patchwork landscape of IP ownership to bring home the programming that they’re known for.

Disney’s 2016 deal with Turner was a major coup for the TV network — it allowed them to broadcast and stream much of the Star Wars franchise on networks like TBS and Starz, often in big marathons or on demand. Disney had also...

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