In this golden age of cable television, where TV production values are at an all-time high and major Hollywood actors are flocking to the small screen to make hits, a lot of the best programming is trapped behind a paywall. This includes Netflix, since the movie and TV show rental and streaming service has created its own successful original programming that you must be a subscriber to watch.
"House of Cards" is probably its biggest original hit yet, garnering a lot of praise and hype while featuring an A-list actor, Kevin Spacey. But, those who don't have access to a Netflix account have been locked out. Good news for any Comcast customers out there: you can now buy season one on your cable provider's Xfinity store through a deal with Sony.
I know, I know--it's not included just for being a customer like you may have been hoping. But since it won't be airing on any particular channel that you pay for or subscribe to in a package, it's not going to be given away for free.
A one-time purchase may be better for you if you really don't want to pay for a subscription, but it might really be worth it to join Netflix and get access to the next season as well, in addition to their other shows, rather than paying for seasons at a time. Plus, if you ever switch providers, it's more than likely your access to "House of Cards" will be no more.
Season one was actually quietly released on DVD and Blu-ray over the summer by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment without much fanfare, and didn't include any features or bonus content. It's also available as a digital download from Amazon Instant Video. Also anounced is that "Orange is the New Black" is coming to Comcast customers as well in May.
Source: The Verge
