Amazon Video gets HBO content

[SAWYER]

http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=176060&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1921211&highlight=

Amazon and HBO Ink Exclusive Multi-Year Deal to Bring Award-Winning HBO Programming to Prime Members
For the first time ever, favorite HBO series like The Sopranos, Six Feet Under, The Wire, Big Love, Eastbound & Down, Oz, Band of Brothers and Deadwood, as well as early seasons of Boardwalk Empire and True Blood, will become available on Amazon Prime Instant Video

HBO GO coming to Amazon’s Fire TV

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr. 23, 2014-- (NASDAQ:AMZN)—Amazon.com, Inc. today announced a content licensing agreement with HBO, making Prime Instant Video the exclusive online-only subscription home for select HBO programming. The collection includes award-winning shows such as The Sopranos, Six Feet Under, The Wire, Big Love, Deadwood, Eastbound & Down, Family Tree, Enlightened, Treme, early seasons of Boardwalk Empire and True Blood, as well as mini-series like Band of Brothers, John Adams and more. Previous seasons of other HBO shows, such as Girls, The Newsroom and Veep will become available over the course of the multi-year agreement, approximately three years after airing on HBO. The first wave of content will arrive on Prime Instant Video May 21. This is the first time that HBO programming has been licensed to an online-only subscription streaming service. This programming will remain on all HBO platforms.

In addition, HBO GO will become available on Fire TV, targeting a launch by year-end. HBO GO is HBO’s authenticated streaming service offering subscribers instant access to over 1,700 titles online including every episode of new and classic HBO series, as well as HBO original films, miniseries, sports, documentaries, specials and a wide selection of blockbuster movies.

“HBO has produced some of the most groundbreaking, beloved and award-winning shows in television history, with more than 115 Emmys amongst the assortment of shows coming to Prime members next month,” said Brad Beale, Director of Content Acquisition for Amazon. “HBO original content is some of the most-popular across Amazon Instant Video—our customers love watching these shows. Now Prime members can enjoy a collection of great HBO shows on an unlimited basis, at no additional cost to their Prime membership.”

“Amazon has built a wonderful service—we are excited to have our programming made available to their vast customer base and believe the exposure will create new HBO subscribers,” said Charles Schreger, President of Programming Sales for HBO.

“As owners of our original programming, we have always sought to capitalize on that investment. Given our longstanding relationship with Amazon, we couldn’t think of a better partner to entrust with this valuable collection,” said Glenn Whitehead, Executive Vice President of Business and Legal Affairs, who along with Schreger headed up HBO’s negotiating team. “We’re also excited to bring HBO GO to Amazon’s Fire TV. The features like unified voice search will provide a compelling experience for HBO customers.”

Beginning May 21, Amazon Prime members will have unlimited streaming access to:

All seasons of revered classics such as The Sopranos, The Wire, Deadwood, Rome and Six Feet Under, and of recent favorites such as Eastbound & Down, Enlightened and Flight of the Conchords
Epic miniseries, including Angels in America, Band of Brothers, John Adams, The Pacific and Parade’s End
Select seasons of current series such as Boardwalk Empire, Treme and True Blood
Hit original movies like Game Change, Too Big To Fail and You Don’t Know Jack
Pedigreed documentaries including the Autopsy and Iceman series, Ghosts of Abu Ghraib and When the Levees Broke
Hilarious original comedy specials from Lewis Black, Ellen DeGeneres, Louis CK and Bill Maher
The multi-year deal will bring additional seasons of the current series named above, along with early seasons of other series like Girls, The Newsroom and Veep to Prime members over the life of the deal.

Earlier this month, Amazon introduced Fire TV, a tiny box that plugs into your HDTV for easy and instant access to Netflix, Prime Instant Video, Hulu Plus, WatchESPN, SHOWTIME, low-cost video rentals, and much more. Fire TV also brings photos, music, and games to the living room. Meet Amazon Fire TV at www.amazon.com/FireTV.

 

[TwiceOver]

3 year delay on new content, but at least it is a step.

 

[Jimzz]

Can't wait to see 6 feet under again. Loved that show when it came out

 

[Linux23]

awesome sauce.

 

[vi edit]

I had to check the Calendar to make sure it wasn't April 1st. Not a perfect solution, but it's a step in the right direction!

 

[lupi]

Was going to say I can fianlly watch entourage, but seems absent from the list. Guess I can make do with some eastbound.

Just remembered that hbo also does the rocknroll hof broadcast, wonder if they will also show up.

 

[DesiPower]

Cool deal! good first step

awesome sauce.

really?

 

[TechBoyJK]

So, access to HBO Go is different than just having the content on Amazon Prime, correct?

Like if you get a FireBox, and it can access HBO-Go, that means you can watch new eps of Game of Thrones, right?

 

[DesiPower]

So, access to HBO Go is different than just having the content on Amazon Prime, correct?

Like if you get a FireBox, and it can access HBO-Go, that means you can watch new eps of Game of Thrones, right?

IFF you have subscription to HBO, amazon prime alone wont work

 

[ZaneNBK]

Yeah, the HBO Go app is only needed to access newer content. I think it's ridiculous that it's going to take them another 8 months or so to port over an existing Android app to the Fire TV. They always seem to be one of the last streaming apps to get ported to new devices. GoogleTV still doesn't have an HBO Go app (even though it's an Android device), XBox One, etc...

Come on HBO, stop screwing around on ATOT all day!

 

[poofyhairguy]

Wow, Netflix has some real competition now for those who are casual TV consumers.

 

[crashtestdummy]

That's a big step up for their selection. Some shows, like Game of Thrones, were conspicuously absent, but that's a pretty solid selection there regardless.

 

[Phoenix86]

Awesome, I didn't have HBO in the Deadwood era and just got interested in it. Now I can get the whole series!

 

[M0oG0oGaiPan]

they actually have stuff worth streaming now

 

[Markbnj]

So HBO tells Netflix to get screwed for years and then works with Amazon to do the same thing? I wonder what Bezos agreed to pay them per view?

 

[Jimzz]

So HBO tells Netflix to get screwed for years and then works with Amazon to do the same thing? I wonder what Bezos agreed to pay them per view?

I bet its more like we will profile the HBO content for sale at amazon and FireTV more if you make a deal with us.

Amazon needed something to break away from the 2nd class image behind Netflix they have and this will help a lot.

 

[poofyhairguy]

So HBO tells Netflix to get screwed for years and then works with Amazon to do the same thing? I wonder what Bezos agreed to pay them per view?

Amazon seems happy to take terms (like the three year window) that maybe Netflix would balk at.

 

[VulgarDisplay]

Time to see a bunch of older shows I never got into.

Boardwalk Empire, The Wire, Oz, the last few seasons of sopranos, True Blood (maybe...vampires are meh), deadwood, and rome.

Also, Band of Brothers is always worth a rewatch in HD. My dvd set need not come out of the closet.

 

[Red Storm]

I don't really see anything to get excited over. The only HBO news that would matter is if they offered they're programming sans cable.

 

[Broheim]

I don't really see anything to get excited over. The only HBO news that would matter is if they offered they're(sic) programming sans cable.

move to scandinavia

 

[poofyhairguy]

I don't really see anything to get excited over. The only HBO news that would matter is if they offered they're programming sans cable.

They do on iTunes. For example the first three seasons of GOT are not a part of this deal, but you can buy each from iTunes.

I assume what you mean is "The only HBO news that would matter is if they offered HBO Go without cable," in which case we will wake you in 25 years when King Cable is dead.

 

[lupi]

I don't really see anything to get excited over. The only HBO news that would matter is if they offered they're programming sans cable.

Head down to this thing called bestbuy and you can get all the hbo programming you'd want.

 

[SAWYER]

Install XBMC with add ons and stream any HBO show..hell any movie/tv show you want!

 

[TechBoyJK]

Maybe it wasn't really a 'great' deal for Amazon on it's own merit, but getting HBO on board does help with the big picture.

When I looked at the firebox and it stated that it didn't support HBO GO, it was an instant 'meh'. This new arrangement changes my opinion.

 

[dmoney1980]

I'd like to see Rome finally (hope amazon gets this!)... Heard great things about that show.