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Unlike Disney, Universal Studios sticks to status quo with HBO deal

Unlike Disney, Universal Studios sticks to status quo with HBO deal

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HBO NYC HQ (STOCK)
HBO NYC HQ (STOCK)

Last month, Netflix scored a coup by convincing Disney to release films on its video subscription service in the same window as for-pay television networks like HBO. Instead of being the first in a line of deals that would have helped give streaming services like Netflix and Amazon equal stature with the traditional TV networks, it looks like it may have been an anomaly. Today, HBO and Universal Studios announced that they are extending their deal to give HBO exclusive access to its movies and those from Focus features in the standard release window until 2022. As All Things D notes, the deal was widely expected, and so the wait for a radically altered future of TV continues.