Just when we thought physical media had devolved into the final frontier, it seems it is well worth exploring once again. In further proof that streaming services are no guarantee that you’ll always have access to your favorite movies, Paramount+ has removed one of its most prolific franchises – Star Trek – from its service. This, rightfully, has prompted outcry from fans, who have threatened to leave Paramount+ or just pirate the movies.
As noted by HD Report, Paramount+ has dropped the Star Trek properties over streaming rights, which they apparently didn’t even bother to think much of. “We apologize for the inconvenience. At this time, some Star Trek films aren’t available due to streaming rights,” before pasting a blanket statement about all of the amazing content Paramount has to offer. “However, Paramount+ has over 45,000 episodes and movies on demand, plus live sports and exclusive originals. Stay tuned for more!” For those looking to find Star Trek, they are now available on Max. They are also currently available on Paramount Plus in Canada, although they’ve been pulled many times over the years.
Paramount continued to be absolutely useless in helping out Star Trek fans in the following exchange:
Paramount also seems to be deleting some posts that are criticizing this move over Star Trek, which, unfortunately, is just the latest instance of movies being taken off of streaming seemingly out of nowhere. Now, we all know that licensing rights expire, but for a studio to ditch its own property is absurd and absolutely something movie and TV fans should be pissed off about. This underlines just how harsh streaming services can be when it comes to content, something we truly started seeing developing at a more rapid pace last year. And if you think purchasing your favorite movie online makes that copy yours, forget it – you don’t even own it, as so many found out when their purchased Warner Bros./Discovery titles on Playstation were deleted from their libraries. As illegal as this seems – imagine David Zaslav raiding your Blu-ray shelf in the middle of the night – there’s really only one true thing we movie lovers can do: buy physical media.
Still, there is plenty to be excited about in the world of physical media, as boutique labels like Arrow, Shout Factory, Kino Lorber, Criterion, Severin, Vinegar Syndrome, and more are keeping the scene alive. There are a wealth out there – a number of which are getting rights to major movies that one would think studio labels could easily make money off of – but it’s going to take time and money for them to continue to succeed. Unfortunately – and, admittedly, idiotically – I ditched the bulk of my DVD/Blu-ray collection when streaming really picked up. To recoup would be one hell of an undertaking, especially when so many have gone out of print…
What are your thoughts on Paramount+ ditching Star Trek? Do cases like this make you want to leave some streaming services and redirect to physical media? Do you still purchase Blu-rays and 4K discs?