NBC, Netflix Strike Heroes Deal

Episodes to Be Available via DVD-Rental Service One Day After Airing

By Alex Weprin -- Broadcasting & Cable, 11/29/2007 3:29:00 PM

NBC and DVD-rental service Netflix signed a deal that will make new episodes of NBC show Heroes available to Netflix users the day after they air on the network.

"We are excited to establish Netflix as a part of our off-network syndication strategy for Heroes,” said Frances Manfredi, executive vice president and general sales manager for NBC Universal Domestic Television Distribution, in a statement. "This deal reflects the changing landscape of the entertainment marketplace and our objective of finding new buyers that complement our traditional customers."

Last month, cable network G4 and HD network Mojo acquired the off-network cable rights to Heroes. Heroes had been one of the more popular programs available on Apple’s iTunes service before NBC decided not to renew its contract with Apple.

Currently Heroes is available on Hulu, which is still in private beta, and NBC Direct, also in beta.

The Netflix deal is an expansion of NBC’s syndication strategy, making content available in mediums that are still relatively new to programmers.