By: Persis Abraham
Streaming services in Canada experienced several new developments this week with the closure of Shomi, the launch of TellMe TV, and changes to Netflix, as well.
Shomi on Wednesday announced that it was officially no longer available.
“We want to thank everyone who supported us, from our members to our employees to our partners and everyone in between. It was an honour to have served you. Keep on streamin’ wherever that may be. Much love,” reads a message on the platform’s website.
Shomi was often heavily criticized for its lack of exclusive content however, it was the only legal platform in Canada for many people to watch specific movies and television shows.
Netflix, meanwhile, is about to allow viewers to download titles and a new service offers movies for the visually impaired.
“While many members enjoy watching Netflix at home, we’ve often heard they also want to continue their ‘Stranger Things’ binge while on airplanes and other places where internet is expensive or limited,” said Eddy Wu, Netflix’s director of product innovation, in a web post.
The popular movie-streaming website is now allowing users to click a download button on the details page for a title they want to watch later.
What this means is that viewers do not need to worry about missing out on watching their favourite show or film even if there isn’t an internet connection.
TellMe TV, a new movie service, launched in Canada this week and is exclusively for those with vision loss.
According to the Canadian National Institute for the Blind, the top provinces with the highest population of people with vision loss include Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia, and Alberta.
Approximately half a million people in Canada are affected.