DavPaz wrote:
I was reading about it on Netflix t'other day. Back in the 90's and early 00's, the idea of owning TV shows, aside from a few special episodes, was ludicrous* as people didn't want tons of VHS tapes cluterring up their homes just so they could watch Joany Loves Chachi "on demand". As such, the production companies never bothered to agree anything but first-run, repeat and syndication deals. When a show became popular, the artists would renegotiate the deals and ask for more money. Even international broadcasts were affected (see 'House' having a different opening theme in the UK). Instead of paying, the studios just remove of replace the music.
*Although I totally had the first 5 seasons of the XFiles in box set form. And Red Dwarf. And Fawlty Towers. Guess I was weird.
And yet as a kid I've had a massive video collection, and then DVDs. That WAS the time to own the content offline.
NOW it's switched back the other way with streaming becoming a viable alternative.