Netflix has announced it will offer controversial film The Interview to its customers in the United States and Canada from this weekend.
During its quarterly earnings call, the streaming giant says Sony’s ‘comedy’ will be available at no extra charge to subscribers from January 24.
The infamous flick – which chronicles a fictional attempt to assassinate the leader of North Korea – has been a major news event during the last couple of months.
The firm was dropped by the major cinema chains ahead of its Christmas Day release in the United States following threats of violence from the hackers who took targeted Sony in the run up to release.
Sony was forced to adapt a different distribution strategy for the Seth Rogen film, which involved making the film available to rent and own through platforms like the PlayStation Network, Google Play and iTunes. The result was Sony’s most downloaded film ever.
Now, on the same day Sony revealed it had made $40m from The Interview, it seems the company is content to pick up a big fat check from Netflix for streaming rights.
Read more: Netflix 4K Ultra HD review
The company also said it plans to complete its global expansion within the next two years. The service is currently available in 50 countries with plans to expand into 200 in total. Australia is next up with a launch in the first quarter of 2015.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
