As the leaves change and the weather cools, Netflix subscribers looking forward to a cozy fall movie night are facing a harsh reality: beloved classics like “Friends” and “Legally Blonde” are no longer a click away.
The streaming platform has been struggling with licensing issues, making it more and more difficult to hold on to popular movies and shows, leading to frustrations among viewers.
“Though we strive to keep the titles you want to watch, some titles do leave Netflix because of licensing agreements,” says the help center on the Netflix website.
The “Hunger Games” series, “Crazy Rich Asians,” and the “Twilight” series have all been recently removed, leaving many users wondering what else might disappear next.
“I heard about the new originals but I haven’t watched too many,” said Christina Woo, a sophomore at Carlmont and Netflix subscriber. “I love all the old movies and I’m really sad they keep disappearing.”
Netflix is not the only one struggling with this; many streaming services face similar challenges as the competition for exclusive content heats up. According to the New York Times article “The Future of Streaming,” Hulu, Disney+, and Amazon Prime Video are also navigating the tricky waters of content licensing.
With the pressure to keep a steady income, Netflix has started producing more and more original movies and shows to keep subscribers engaged. New originals like “Joan Didion: The Center Will Not Hold,” “Formula 1: Drive to Survive,” and “Inventing Anna” are now front and center of their site. Learn more about these shows here.
“My favorite movie on Netflix was Legally Blonde, and I’m so sad it’s gone because I don’t have any other place to watch it,” said Hana Yamawaki, a student at Carlmont who also has a Netflix account.
As Netflix continues to lose these iconic films, many subscribers are left wondering if the platform is still worth their money.
“I used to watch all my favorite shows on Netflix, but now it feels like they’re taking away the ones we actually care about,” said Oliver Hayes, a freshman.
In a world with so many shows to screen, the question is: will Netflix be able to keep subscribers from hitting the pause button on their subscriptions?
“I don’t really know why I’m sticking around; I’m starting to wonder if Netflix is even worth paying for,” Hayes said.
