There’s some good news for Star Wars fans who subscribe to Netflix. The company confirmed that Star Wars: The Force Awakens will come to Netflix streaming next year.
But only in Canada.
The reason it’s not going to stream in the US? Licensing deals.
From Variety:
The reason Netflix will be able to offer the much-anticipated movie in Canada next year — and not in the U.S. or anywhere else — has to do with the timing of when Disney’s pay-TV distribution deals were up for grabs.
In the U.S., premium cable channel Starz has an exclusive output deal with Disney that runs through the end of 2015; Netflix’s pact with the Mouse House commences with 2016 titles. With “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” slated for Dec. 18 theatrical debut, that means Starz will be the pay-TV home for the movie in the U.S.
The new Star Wars movie will hit Netflix Canada about eight months after it leaves theaters.
Of course, Star Wars fans from other countries will surely find a way around this. If only there was a way …
It's as if a million voices cried out "VPN!". — Netflix to stream Star Wars: The Force Awakens in Canada https://t.co/qnfwuzOc0H
— Julian West, PMP (@julian_west) October 26, 2015
If you haven’t seen the last trailer for the film, please remedy that now: