Netflix has joined the Motion Picture Association of America, marking it as the first streaming platform to become a member.
The announcement came the same day Netflix picked up 15 Oscar nominations, including its first best picture nod for Roma, and was reportedly endorsed by the other major studios included in the MPAA: Fox, Paramount, Sony, Disney, Universal, and Warner Bros. It’s an interesting move, especially since Disney and Warner Media have teased their own streaming services in 2019. But it also gives Netflix a foothold in the more traditional studio system.
The MPAA is perhaps better known as the organization that governs film ratings; Netflix currently offers “maturity ratings” for shows and films, which are decided “by Netflix or by a local standards organization,” according to this entry. But the MPAA is also a powerful force for lobbying and policy, cracking down on piracy (which has been an issue for Netflix in the past) and representing movie industry interests in D.C.
It will also be interesting to see how this plays out in movie theaters, a space Netflix has struggled with. Though Roma was released in theaters weeks before it debuted on Netflix, AMC and Regal Cinemas have decided not to screen the film leading up to the Oscars.
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