The Amazon streaming service, Prime has always been the poor cousin of services such as Netflix, but they are catching up as the latest deal struck with Warner Bros TV shows.
Amazon beefing up online content
The deal will bring top TV shows to Prime Instant Video catalog such as Fringe and The West Wing exclusively this summer. Other shows in the deal include The Whole Truth, Dark Blue and Alcatraz.
Speaking about the move Brad Beale, Amazon’s director of digital video content acquisition said, “Bringing Fringe and The West Wing – two shows with a devoted fan base – to Prime Instant Video first, is another way for us to add value for Prime members and to continue to give customers content they love.”
Speaking for Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution, president Ken Werner said, “As more and more television content is enjoyed by fans across a myriad of subscription channels and platforms and on numerous devices from televisions to tablets, deals such as this give consumers the opportunity to discover, catch-up or simply enjoy a favorite series again and again.”
The news comes shortly after Amazon struck a similar deal with MGM to bring hundreds of movies and TV series to Prime Instant, and also chalked up a deal with Paramount.
The Amazon Prime Instant Video subscription service lets users stream over 18,000 movies and TV shows, and is free for users of the $79 per year Amazon Prime 2-day shipping service. Users can watch content on a number of connected devices including the Kindle Fire tablet.
Amazon are also developing original content through the Amazon Studios division, as they ramp up their video on demand division and compete with rivals such as Netflix.
