Netflix, Inc. (NFLX) Ends Its Public API

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Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX) has shuttered its public API and has taken down a few application with it as well. Developers who have built apps that collected data from Netflix will also be out of service.

Not surprising, but disappointing

Though it does not come as a surprise, the move is rather disappointing for the developers. The online video streaming service locked down its API two years back, not allowing any new developers to gain access. Now even those,who have had the access to the API for years have been “given the boot,” says a report from TechCrunch.

There are very few apps that are allowed as partners, most likely being given access to a private API. InstantWatcher, CanIStreamIt?, Flixster, Fanhattan, Yidio, and a few other lucky ones are carrying on.

Popular apps like A Better Queue, which helped in finding movies on Netflix, are now closing their doors.

“Sadly, it’s the end of the road for A Better Queue. It relied on Netflix’s public API, and Netflix retired the API on November 14th, 2014,” wrote A BetterQueue’s developer Dave Jachimia.

According to TechCrunch, the close of API is for the good as it was not serving its purpose very well.

S.H.I.E.L.D finally on Netflix

Separately, Netflix will air the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D this week. Many viewers were not happy that the show is not yet available in the SVOD format, even when both Disney and ABC already entered into deal with Netflix, and most of the Marvel movies are already streaming on the service. The online video streaming service will air the show on November 20th.

According to Variety, Marvel Television and Netflix have finally settled on airing Season 1 of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. this week. As of now, it is not known why S.H.I.E.L.D. took such a long to hit the digital platform. One possible reason could be that Marvel was expecting more sales from the DVD and Blu-ray release of the show as a debut on a digital platform means the end of physical disc sales.

A similar strategy might have been used for The CW’s Arrow. A week before the Season 3, fans were expecting season 2 to be aired on Netflix, but on the day of the premiere, it was revealed that the Season 2 release has been postponed for unspecified reasons.

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