Amazon, Viacom deal keeps many TV shows on Prime and Kindle, some exclusively

Amazon and Viacom Announce Multi-Year Video Licensing Agreement; Adds a Selection of TV Shows Available Exclusively on Prime Instant Video
Prime Instant Video is adding thousands of episodes from Nickelodeon, Nick Jr., MTV and COMEDY CENTRAL-including a collection of subscription TV shows customers won't find anywhere else-with favorite kids shows like Dora the Explorer, Go, Diego, Go!, Blue's Clues and The Backyardigans, all available to Kindle Fire customers with FreeTime Unlimited

Multi-year deal will bring Amazon customers the TV shows and movies they want to watch, when they want to watch them, and on any device they want to watch them on-including Kindle Fire, iPad, iPhone, Roku and more

SEATTLE & NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jun. 4, 2013-- Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) and Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIAB and VIA) today announced an expanded multi-year, multi-national digital video licensing agreement to bring hundreds of TV shows and thousands of TV episodes from Viacom to Prime Instant Video. This deal includes a collection of TV shows that customers won't find on any other digital video subscription service. Prime members will now have unlimited instant streaming access to popular kids programming such as Bubble Guppies, The Backyardigans, Team Umizoomi, Blue's Clues and Victorious, along with top-rated shows from MTV and COMEDY CENTRAL like Awkward, Tosh.0 and Workaholics. Prime members will also have access to future episodes of Dora the Explorer, SpongeBob SquarePants, Fairly Odd Parents, Fresh Beat Band and more. LOVEFiLM customers in the UK and Germany will get some of the same great shows later this summer.

Select shows from Nickelodeon and Nick Jr. will be available in Kindle FreeTime Unlimited, a service built just for kids that gives them the freedom to explore all their favorite books, games, educational apps, movies and TV shows, while providing parents with the tools they need to manage their kids' screen time.

"Kids' shows are one of the most watched TV genres on Prime Instant Video," said Bill Carr, VP of Digital Video and Music for Amazon. "And this expanded deal will now bring customers the largest subscription selection of Nickelodeon and Nick Jr. TV shows online, anywhere. With programs like Dora the Explorer, SpongeBob SquarePants, Bubble Guppies and The Backyardigans there are hundreds of great shows for kids and parents to choose from. In addition, we are bringing customers popular shows from MTV and COMEDY CENTRAL like Key & Peele, Workaholics, Awkward and Teen Mom 2, with the promise of more shows from these networks in the future."

"We are thrilled to be extending and deepening our relationship with Amazon," said Philippe Dauman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Viacom. "This innovative agreement will provide Prime members with access to even more of our best programming from our major television brands, including many digital video subscription streaming exclusives. Amazon has created a unique, brand-friendly environment for streaming entertainment and consumer products and we are excited to work with Amazon to bring customers shows they love."

Prime Instant Video offers more than 41,000 movies and TV episodes for Prime members to stream 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-all at no additional cost. Also as previously announced, later this month Prime Instant Video will become the exclusive home to PBS hit series Downton Abbey as well as the highly anticipated CBS summer series Under the Dome, with each episode of the latter added just four days after initial broadcast. To sign up for Amazon Prime, visit www.amazon.com/primeinstantvideo.

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The Vikings head to the UK exclusively via Lovefilm

#1 NEW CABLE SERIES OF THE YEAR IN THE U.S. GOES LIVE ON LOVEFiLM INSTANT

May 24, 2013 – The critically acclaimed epic U.S. television series "VIKINGS" has launched exclusively on LOVEFiLM Instant in the UK today, making the streaming service the first and only place to watch the hit series in these countries.

From today, members of LOVEFiLM Instant in the UK will be able to feast on all nine episodes of the Norse action-drama at once in full high-definition.

Starring Travis Fimmel (The Beast, The Experiment), Golden Globe? winner Gabriel Byrne (The Usual Suspects, Miller's Crossing) and Katheryn Winnick (Love and Other Drugs, Bones), "VIKINGS" chronicles the epic adventures of notorious Norse hero Ragnar Lothbrok (Fimmel), a Viking warrior who yearns to explore – and raid – the distant shores of the ocean. "VIKINGS" also stars George Blagden (Wrath of the Titans), Jessalyn Gilsig (Glee), Gustaf Skarsgard (The Way Back), and Clive Standen (Camelot).

Created and written by Michael Hirst – one of the premier historical story-tellers in the industry (Academy-Award® winning film Elizabeth; and the Emmy and Golden Globe nominated series The Tudors), "VIKINGS" is a tale of warfare, sex, bloodshed, ambition, family and brotherhood. The epic drama is the #1 new cable series of the year in the U.S. where it airs on HISTORY.

Simon Morris, Chief Marketing Officer at LOVEFiLM, said:
"Today is an exciting landmark in our history and we are thrilled about the arrival of "VIKINGS" on LOVEFiLM Instant. We know that our members are going to be gripped from the opening moments of the first episode to the series finale and we can't wait to see their response. The airing of "VIKINGS" on our service before any other traditional broadcasting platforms reinforces our position as a broadcasting medium of choice for content creators."

Of all nine episodes being made available to stream at once, "VIKINGS" creator, writer and executive producer, Michael Hirst, added: "One of the things about being able to watch a show in this way is that you are inside that world consistently and emotionally and it probably has a larger impact on you. That's why people binge on shows and can spend a whole weekend watching them. It's like being transported into a different world, a different environment. And I want people to be transported. That's why I write historically based material."

"VIKINGS" will premiere on LOVEFiLM Instant in the UK today and in Germany on 15th June 2013 and is available exclusively on the streaming service in both countries. MGM Television is serving as the international distributor in all markets outside of the U.S., Ireland and Canada.

LOVEFiLM Instant is available on PC, Mac or via Nintendo Wii and Wii U, Microsoft Xbox 360, Sony Playstation®3, Kindle Fire HD and Kindle Fire, Apple iPad® and a growing number of Internet-connected TV sets and Blu-ray players, giving members immediate access to a huge range of the latest films and premium TV shows from as little as £4.99 a month.

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