Amazon and Universal have come to a multi-year agreement that will bring Universal films to Prime Video and IMDb TV, according to Deadline. The deal states that Universal’s live-action films, starting with 2022 releases, will stream exclusively on NBCUniversa’sl Peacock service during the 4 months after their theatrical release ends and then stream exclusively on Prime Video for 10 months, after which they will returning to Peacock. Universal’s animated films, such as those by DreamWorks and Illumination, will also eventually be available on Prime Video, but Netflix currently has first dibs to stream them after they leave Peacock. As for IMDb TV, Amazon’s ad-supported service, it will be streaming Universal’s 2020 and 2021 films. This deal also includes a collection of pre-2020 Universal films that will make their way to Prime Video or IMDb TV.
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That’s Awesome news but I assume this means they will stream for “free”? (As in included in the cost of Prime Membership as a free perk). I ask because just recently I got a “pop-up” on my Prime Video App Home screen (Not my Fire TV Home screen) to participate in a poll about how easy it is to find “Free To Me” movies and TV shows. I was honest and selected “Could Be Better” or something like that. The irony is ever since the poll when I filter my Prime Video searches specifically by “Free To Me” every other video that pops up has a $ symbol next to it? Someone at Amazon needs to correct this. No biggie for me as I have everything Pin Protected but still…
Yes, it means they’ll be included at no extra cost.
Excerpt from the DEADLINE article Elias linked in his post below:
“We know Prime members love movies and this new deal with UFEG will deliver some of the best films available for our customers,” said Brad Beale, Prime Video’s VP of worldwide content licensing. “This new slate of UFEG films, including exciting upcoming releases such as Jurassic World: Dominion, The 355, and Ambulance will continue to build upon Prime Video’s catalog and delight Prime members, all at no additional cost to their membership.”
PeaPrimeCock!
As a Prime subscriber I would like a way to watch IMDB content sans ads. And I’m not asking for more ‘free’ stuff, but, say, ‘ad free’ credits instead of ‘digital rewards’ for selecting slower shipping options.
IMDb content plays sans ads on my first generation Kindle Fire. Says “You own this video.”
I don’t get the idea of spending a billion dollars on a licensing deal like this.
Why not just continue hoovering up smaller movie studios and own the content forever? Lionsgate is still sitting there with a for sale sign out front.
One reason is that the FTC, now headed my Lina Kahn and someone who is not a fan of Amazon and their practices will hover over every acquisition. They have already opened up an investigation into the MGM acquisition.
The gov couldn’t stop the AT&T/Time Warner merger. There’s no legal basis to stop Amazon from buying movie studios. So Amazon might as well do it while they can.
It’s a smarter long term move than licensing or creating their own content.