Why Are Streaming Services Removing Shows in Your Region

Streaming services are becoming more popular and the best source for reducing stress. As the internet is necessary for many individuals worldwide, streaming services have transformed entertainment.

These services provide millions of people with various content like movies, TV shows, and documentaries to enjoy without leaving home—streaming apps like Netflix, Disney+, and many more offer different entertainment content. But you can only access some content sometimes because these apps have policies according to region or country wise.

You can watch Hulu as it has almost 85+ TV shows only and hundreds of movies and original series, and the best thing is that most of its content can be accessed in countries like Canada, and now you would be wondering how to get Hulu in Canada. You can use VPN for this purpose.

Thus, streaming platforms offer various services according to the region. Sometimes, your favorite show may drop out from the streaming platform of your choice, or the worst; your favorite show stops airing without any notice.

Whether you are in the middle of the show or at the ending or rewatching an old show or usually you are relaxed that you can watch your favorite show anytime, the sudden vanishing of the show leaves you disheartened.

The irony is that streaming platforms are well aware that the show has affectionate fans, but they still seize your favorite show. Ever wonder why they do? The sudden removal of shows without any explanation from the streaming platform comes with many questions.

In this blog, we will discuss the reasons why streaming services are removing shows in your region.

Licensing

One of the prime factors that content is being removed from streaming platforms is licensing agreements. To put it into simple words, most streaming services do not own the shows and movies that they are offering to their users.

Basically, they need to get permission from the content owner, which could be studios and companies, to stream their content to their users.

For instance, a streaming platform has a licensing agreement for a specific show to be aired in the US only. But, before licensing expires, both parties must make a new agreement or terms; otherwise, the streaming service has to remove the show from its platform.

And this mostly happens when the content owner decides to give licensing of the show to another streaming platform or a new network in your region. But usually, these owners are not the crew who work hard on them but the wealthy studios behind them.

Regional Restriction

Another big reason for the disappearance of shows from the streaming platform is regional restrictions on streaming services. Most streaming services track your location via geolocation technology; this information allows them to put restrictions on accessing specific content related to your location.

This happens because several movies, shows, and documentaries have various licensing restrictions depending on regions. For example, if a specific show or movie only has a license to stream in the UK, then outside users can not access the content.

Streaming services use advanced technology like GPS coordinates and geolocation to spot the user’s location. The result is that users outside of the UK can be restricted from accessing shows and movies. This is the main factor that some shows are available in some countries and unavailable in others.

Another thing is that licensing agreements and streaming services are negotiable and vary country by country. For instance, if a TV show is licensed to Netflix in the US for a year, then it would not be available on Netflix in the UK, which means UK Netflix has to make a new separate licensing agreement with the movie developer company for the UK viewing rights.

Limited Time Offers

Streaming platforms usually give limited-time promotion offers that permit people to access specific content for a particular time. These promotions include free trials, packages, discounts, and premium access to particular content.

Thus, limited-time offers include TV shows or movies that can be accessed for a short time. After the promotion period ends, the content is removed from the streaming platform. It can cause sadness among the users who thought they had long-term access to the content.

For example, Disney+ began in 2019 and offered a limited-time promotion, giving new users a 7-day free trial. And for the time being, users can access the whole Disney+ library, from old classic shows to popular ones.

But after the 7-days trial expired, users were asked to buy a subscription plan to continue accessing the content. This strategy gives streaming apps to attract a vast early audience.

 Conclusion

In conclusion, factors for streaming platforms removing shows in your region are different and complicated. They are led by the fusion of geolocation restrictions, regional licensing agreements, limited-time promotions, and content owners’ permission.

It is essential to realize that there is not one solution to these problems. It can be frustrating for you, but in reality, it becomes the root of the entertainment Industry.