dslreports logo
 story category
Disney Pulls Christmas Video Content From Amazon

We've increasingly seen how exclusive content licensing has resulted in confusing realm of broken broadband streaming options for consumers, with each service having access to slightly different array of content in the belief that's a consumer draw. The latest example of this fracturing is Disney's decision to pull Christmas themed content from Amazon -- for Christmas.

Click for full size
Users only noticed the change when they went to go view holiday content they already purchased:
quote:
Bill sez, Last "December I bought some favorite Christmas specials for my kids with the idea they could watch them every year. Went tonight to watch one ('Disney Prep and Landing 2' if you're curious) and it was gone from our library and couldn't be found on the site at all. Amazon has explained to me that Disney can pull their content at any time and 'at this time they've pulled that show for exclusivity on their own channel.'
Disney apparently forgets that broader access to legitimate, paid content is one way to keep people away from pirated options.

Updated: Initially Amazon's own website supported Bill's story and claimed that the content was pulled due to licensing restrictions. In updated stories, Amazon's now blaming the problem on some kind of database glitch:
quote:
Amazon blamed the removal on "a temporary issue with some of our catalog data" which it says has been fixed, adding that "customers should never lose access to their Amazon Instant Video purchases."
The issue of you not truly owning what you think you might own persists.

Most recommended from 72 comments


ISurfTooMuch
join:2007-04-23
Tuscaloosa, AL

7 recommendations

ISurfTooMuch

Member

If you needed more proof that streamed content should never be "purchased"

So let me get this straight. If someone has already purchased a video from Amazon when a content provider was licensing it to them, and then the provider yanks that content, then that purchased content vanishes, presumably with no refund? And doesn't it seem reasonable that, if someone buys Christmas content, they might actually want to view it around--I don't know--Christmas?

Reason #10,357 that "purchasing" streamed content is something no one should ever do.
Chuck_IV
join:2003-11-18
Connecticut

5 recommendations

Chuck_IV

Member

This is why I will never...

"buy" digital streaming content. You knew this kind of thing was gonna happen.

This is a pretty crappy thing to do on Disney's part. But then again, they have a history of being aholes before, so it doesn't suprise me.