Streaming Originals Aren't Getting Physical Releases, and That's a Problem

Streaming giants like Netflix and Disney Plus are doing great things creatively, but they don't want us watching outside their subscription services. This means no discs for you and me, but that's bad for everyone.

Streaming Services Are Making Some of the Best TV and Movies Now

There's no denying that since streaming services started paying to make or license their own content, we've had some absolute bangers. Of course, not everything can be Stranger Things or The Mandalorian, but there's no denying that there are plenty of movie and TV series hits that have come from streaming stables. There have certainly been more than enough awards scooped up by the like of Netflix and Amazon.

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They Aren’t in Theaters, and They Aren’t on Disc

Corbin Davenport / How-To Geek

While it's not yet universally true, more and more you'll find that original content from streaming services aren't getting physical disc releases, and they aren't showing up in theaters. A movie might get a limited theatrical release so that it's eligible for awards,but you won't likely find it showing at your local cinema. Upcoming big-budget films like Greta Gerwig's Narnia films, won't be getting a theatrical release as part of Netflix' policies.

For home media, you can still get amazing shows like Apple's Severance as a Blu-ray release, but shows like Netflix' Midnight Mass and Cyberpunk: Edgerunners don't have disc releases.

Streaming Services Will Eventually Shut Down or Change

The streaming services that create and distribute these movies and shows are their custodians. This means that if they go out of business without some sort of succession plan, then the films and series would be left in limbo. Sure, for all practical purposes bootleg copies of that media would persist, but any official way of keeping it alive would be gone. Having legal Blu-rays to archive at least means a legacy of high-quality legal media.

Original Versions of Films Could Be Lost

Lucasfilm

When a physical release of a film or series is made, no one can change the contents of that release. You have to release a new version, and let it exist side-by-side with the original. If it wasn't for the existence of LaserDisc, then the original theatrical versions of the first Star Wars trilogy would be gone, other than in George Lucas' vault somewhere on Skywalker Ranch.

If something only exists as a streaming service, then it can be edited, changed, and modified until the original is effectively erased. Again, for more popular stuff someone will likely have a bootleg copy (of dubious quality), but official physical releases are by far the best way to preserve a film or series.

It’s a Missed Opportunity

I think the thing that irks me the most about this practice among streaming services is that it doesn't make all that much business sense. If the idea is to keep your subscribers, the most likely people to keep subscribing are those who would also buy physical copies of their favorite shows. Likewise, if someone who doesn't subscribe to Netflix buys or watches a Blu-ray and likes it, they'll be more likely to subscribe as well.

The way I see it, physical copies of the show are not in competition with the streaming version at all. I can understand the sentiment that physical media sales are falling in the grand scheme of things, but then at least release physical versions of shows that are the most popular and have the most viewers asking for a disc.

It's hard to imagine a situation where physical releases of streaming shows won't add to the total revenue, and bring in more subscribers, but then again, I'm not the genius who greenlit ReBoot: The Guardian Code.