(NASDAQ: AMZN)—Amazon.com today announced an expanded content licensing
agreement with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM),
making the epic series Vikings available on Prime Instant Video.
Amazon’s video streaming subscription customers in the UK and Germany
have already been enjoying the hit drama series since it exclusively
came to LOVEFiLM – Amazon’s European film and TV series subscription
service—in May. Vikings premiered on HISTORY in the U.S. and was
the #1 new cable series in 2013.
Today’s announcement also brings with it a number of great MGM films,
including Oscar-winning titles like Fargo, Platoon and Annie
Hall, along with fan favorites like Hotel Rwanda and
Hoosiers for Prime members to instantly stream on hundreds of
compatible devices anytime, anywhere.
“We’re excited that Prime Instant Video is now the video subscription
home of Vikings, a series we know our customers love in both the
U.S. and abroad,” said Brad Beale, Director of Digital Video
Content Acquisition for Amazon. “Adding a collection of great MGM films,
along with Vikings, is an example of how we’re continuously
working to offer our Prime members some of the best content available
anywhere.”
"MGM is thrilled to further our relationship with Amazon by offering the
epic series Vikings, as well as titles from MGM's library with
Amazon Prime members," said John Bryan, President, Domestic Television
Distribution, MGM. "We are always looking for opportunities to bring our
content to new audiences in innovative ways, which is exactly what this
partnership delivers."
Prime Instant Video is the exclusive online subscription home for PBS
series Downton Abbey, the CBS summer blockbuster series Under
the Dome, with each episode added just four days after initial
broadcast, and other hit TV series including Justified, Falling
Skies, Grimm, Suits and Covert Affairs. Prime
Instant Video also offers an exclusive collection of kids shows from
Nick Jr. that customers won’t find anywhere else including
favorites like Dora the Explorer, Go, Diego, Go!, Blue’s
Clues, and The Backyardigans. Debuting this fall, Amazon’s
first original series Alpha House and Betas can be found
exclusively on Prime Instant Video as well.
About Amazon Instant Video and Prime Instant Video
Amazon Instant Video offers over 150,000 movies and TV episodes for
customers to rent or purchase and enjoy on Kindle Fire, Kindle Fire HD,
iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, Roku, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii and Wii U,
among other connected TVs and devices. Prime Instant Video, Amazon’s
video subscription offering, enables Prime members to watch tens of
thousands of movies and TV episodes at no additional cost to their Prime
membership. For more information about Prime Instant Video, visit www.amazon.com/primeinstantvideo.
About Amazon Prime
Amazon Prime is the best bargain in the history of shopping. Prime is an
annual membership program for $79 a year that offers customers unlimited
Free Two-Day Shipping on millions of items including books, home and
garden products, electronics, video games, clothing, and much more.
Amazon Prime members also get access to unlimited instant streaming of
thousands of movies and TV shows and access to hundreds of thousands of
books to borrow for free, as frequently as a book a month, with no due
dates from a Kindle device. Customers who receive free Prime shipping
benefits through our Amazon Student or Amazon Mom programs can upgrade
to an annual paid membership to receive Amazon Prime’s digital benefits.
About Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN), a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle,
opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth’s
Biggest Selection. Amazon.com, Inc. seeks to be Earth’s most
customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything
they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the
lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers offer millions of
unique new, refurbished and used items in categories such as Books;
Movies, Music & Games; Digital Downloads; Electronics & Computers; Home
& Garden; Toys, Kids & Baby; Grocery; Apparel, Shoes & Jewelry; Health &
Beauty; Sports & Outdoors; and Tools, Auto & Industrial. Amazon Web
Services provides Amazon’s developer customers with access to
in-the-cloud infrastructure services based on Amazon’s own back-end
technology platform, which developers can use to enable virtually any
type of business. Kindle Paperwhite is the world’s best-selling and most
advanced e-reader. It features new display technology with higher
contrast, the next generation built-in light, a faster processor, the
latest touch technology, and exclusive new features designed from the
ground up for readers. Kindle, the lightest and smallest Kindle,
features improved fonts and faster page turns. The new Kindle Fire HDX
features a stunning exclusive 7” or 8.9” HDX display, a quad-core 2.2
GHz processor, 2x more memory, and 11 hours of battery life, as well as
exclusive new features of Fire OS 3.0 including X-Ray for Music, Second
Screen, Prime Instant Video downloads, and the revolutionary new Mayday
button. The all-new Kindle Fire HD includes an HD display,
high-performance processor and dual speakers at a breakthrough price.
Amazon and its affiliates operate websites, including www.amazon.com,
www.amazon.co.uk,
www.amazon.de,
www.amazon.co.jp,
www.amazon.fr,
www.amazon.ca,
www.amazon.cn,
www.amazon.it,
www.amazon.es,
www.amazon.com.br,
www.amazon.in,
and www.amazon.com.mx.
As used herein, “Amazon.com,” “we,” “our” and similar terms
include Amazon.com, Inc., and its subsidiaries, unless the context
indicates otherwise.
Forward-Looking Statements
This announcement contains forward-looking statements within the meaning
of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Actual results may differ significantly
from management's expectations. These forward-looking statements involve
risks and uncertainties that include, among others, risks related to
competition, management of growth, new products, services and
technologies, potential fluctuations in operating results, international
expansion, outcomes of legal proceedings and claims, fulfillment and
data center optimization, seasonality, commercial agreements,
acquisitions and strategic transactions, foreign exchange rates, system
interruption, inventory, government regulation and taxation, payments
and fraud. More information about factors that potentially could affect
Amazon.com's financial results is included in Amazon.com's filings with
the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its most recent Annual
Report on Form 10-K and subsequent filings.
About Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc.
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. is a leading entertainment company focused on
the production and distribution of film and television content globally.
The company owns one of the world's deepest libraries of premium film
and television content. In addition, MGM has investments in domestic and
international television channels. For more information, visit www.mgm.com.
Copyright Business Wire 2013