As the competition among streaming sites like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon and others heats up, what’s becoming clear is that the idea of a single site being the one on which you can watch everything is falling by the wayside. Instead, the focus is shifting to exclusivity, both in original content and in licensed content.
Want to catch up on season three of “Downton Abbey”? As of June 18, you’ll only be able to do so via Amazon’s Prime Instant Video, the company having struck a deal that will eventually made it the exclusive online home for all of the Julian Fellowes’ period drama. In its recent investor letter, Netflix announced that “As we continue to focus on exclusive and curated content, our willingness to pay for non-exclusive, bulk content deals declines.” Criterion has been exclusively streaming its film on Hulu.
Yahoo’s stake in online streaming isn’t as significant as these sites, but it’s been getting in the game with web series originals like “Burning Love” and the Jack Black-produced “The Ghost Ghirls.” And now it’ll be the exclusive U.S. online home for the archive of “Saturday Night Live” for one year, a significant get for the company. Yahoo announced today that it’s partnering with Broadway Video Entertainment and NBC Entertainment to be the online hub for the “SNL” archives from 1975 to 2013.
This includes a library of show clips, select musical performances, making-of and behind-the-scenes clips and a selection of dress rehearsal clips. More pressingly, archived “SNL” content will be removed from other video platforms like Netflix and Hulu, though Yahoo will only be able to feature episodes from the current season non-exclusively.
“‘Saturday Night Live’ is legendary for launching new talent, providing witty commentary on current events, and delighting fans the world over,” said Yahoo’s Marissa Mayer in the announcement. “We are thrilled to give Yahoo! users the most comprehensive collection of ‘SNL’ content available on the web, and make Yahoo! a home for current season clips, as well as clips from the entire 38-season archive.”
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