Confirmed: Stargate Is Leaving Netflix (Again)

Stargate is exiting Netflix once again — but with the franchise now having a new owner, this time it might be for good.

Stargate SG-1 has been available to stream on the service since December of 2020, and was briefly listed for removal at this time last year. But the show earned a reprieve in the form of a 1-year contract extension — so here we are again.

Netflix in the United States now displays the message: “Last day to watch on Netflix: November 30.”

Assuming the service does not re-up its licensing deal with MGM, viewers will have to pick up their binge viewing elsewhere starting on December 1. The show is currently available to watch on Amazon Prime Video, alongside its spin-offs Stargate Atlantis and Stargate Universe (two shows that Netflix doesn’t have).

Meanwhile Stargate Atlantis remains available on Hulu, and all three shows in the sci-fi franchise can be found on ad-supported Pluto TV in the United States. (In other countries and territories, check your local listings.)

One big thing has changed since the license renewal in 2021: MGM and its library are now owned by Amazon, which has its own streaming platform in Prime Video (and Prime’s ad-supported sidekick Freevee).

Because Amazon purchased MGM for $8.45 billion for its film and television library, we’ve speculated that the company will eventually look to make the Stargate franchise exclusive to Prime Video (or Freevee, which is viewable through the Prime Video interface). Whether that will come to pass still remains to be seen, but an exit of the flagship series from Netflix could be a step in that direction.

For viewers who have the benefit of subscriptions to both services, SG-1‘s departure from Netflix is not a great loss. The service streams inferior copies of the early seasons of the show, in the 4:3 aspect ratio and 480 standard definition. Prime Video streams the upscaled episodes with a better picture and the 16:9 aspect ratio that was released on DVD.

For the past two years Netflix has also falsely identified the entirety of the series — 214 episodes — as rated TV-MA for mature audiences only. This is because it streams the original Showtime version of the show’s first episode, with full-frontal nudity, and then inaccurately applies that episode’s rating to all 10 seasons.

As nice as it has been to have Stargate in front of the Netflix audience, in our view this error has done material harm to the Stargate brand and its ability to acquire new viewers in the streaming era. Netflix made no effort to correct this over the past 23 months.

Meanwhile you can bookmark GateWorld’s Where To Watch page for updates on Stargate’s streaming availability as things continue to shift.