Netflix is likely giving Sony Pictures the rights to distribute and sell the first season of its stream-only series House of Cards on DVD and Blu-ray starting in June. This concept will seem ridiculous to us Yanks—after all, I could either spend my $53 on this House of Cards box set, or use that money to buy six months’ worth of Netflix streaming, which includes House of Cards along with hundreds of other TV shows and movies. But don’t discredit this move outright: It may well be a stopgap measure for Netflix to reach as broad a customer base as possible as it waits to assume global dominance in video streaming services.
While their streaming services are available in almost all of North and South America, Netflix is only available in Europe’s Nordic countries and the British Isles; it’s completely unavailable in Asia, Africa, and Australia. So if you’re a American expat (or just a lover of American political drama) living in, say, Germany, who detests pirating and is willing to wait the standard 18-32 shipping days, will Amazon have a birthday gift for you!
(h/t Vulture)
