Netflix gets subscription TV rights to Paramount movies in Canada

Netflix has announced a new five-year licensing agreement with Paramount Pictures, which is owned by media conglomerate Viacom, in Canada. The deal means over 350 new movie titles, including the exclusive subscription television rights to all first-run films, will be added for Canadian Netflix members to watch instantly on their computers and TVs. Titles include The Last Airbender, Iron Man 2, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Titanic, Defiance, Zoolander, Wayne's World, The African Queen, Sabrina (1954), and Terms of Endearment.

In September 2010, Netflix finally launched in Canada, marking the first country to get the service outside of the US. The arrival meant Canadians could get unlimited streaming for $7.99 CAD per month.

Unfortunately, the selection for Canadians is still not as good as what Americans get, but Netflix has been working hard on fixing this. Three months ago, the company announced licensing agreements with content providers All3Media International, CBC, FremantleMedia Enterprises, Global TV, and Maple Pictures. The result was hundreds of new titles for Canadian Netflix members.

Canada is somewhat of a test for Netflix to see what it needs to do in order to successfully expand its service outside of the US. This year, the company is considering an overseas expansion, though details on this have yet to be confirmed.

"We are committed to constantly expanding our selection of top new movies and TV shows for our Canadian members," Ted Sarandos, Netflix chief content officer, said in a statement. "This agreement will allow them to watch some of the latest hit Paramount films as well as an incredible range of the studio's recent and classic favorites anytime they want. Netflix and Paramount enjoy a great relationship and are proud to bring such a terrific array of films to Netflix members in Canada."