On Friday, some subscribers noticed that Netflix had removed support for AirPlay, the ability to stream Netflix from your iOS device to the TV. The move came just as Apple began expanding support for AirPlay on new devices including VIZIO, Samung, and LG Smart TVs.
This weekend, in a statement Netflix explained:
“We want to make sure our members have a great Netflix experience on any device they use. With AirPlay support rolling out to third-party devices, there isn’t a way for us to distinguish between devices (what is an Apple TV versus what isn’t) or certify these experiences.
Therefore, we have decided to discontinue Netflix AirPlay support to ensure our standard of quality for viewing is being met. Members can continue to access Netflix on the built-in app across Apple TV and other devices.”
The move seems suspicious, as it coincides with Apple’s upcoming release of Apple TV+ — their “Netflix killer” — which expects to have nearly $2B of original content.
Earlier this year, Netflix pulled support for paying for subscriptions through the App Store, so they wouldn’t have to pay Apple’s a 15-30% cut of the subscription. The company has been one of the major holdouts from Apple’s TV App, which allows users to discover content and now subscribe to multiple streaming services from a single-app.