Amazon Signs Deal with Viacom for Streaming Content
Looking to bulk up its online streaming entertainment service, Prime Instant Video, Amazon has signed a licensing agreement with Viacom that will make thousands of episodes of Viacom shows available for instant streaming. While Amazon didn't specify the exact number of titles added, the company said that Amazon Prime will have over 15,000 titles available when the Viacom programs are added in the next few months.
Viacom content will come from the cable channels MTV, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, TV Land, Spike, VH1, BET, CMT, and Logo, and will include "The Hills," "Jersey Shore," "The Hard Times of RJ Berger," and "The Real World" from MTV; "Chappelle's Show" and "The Sarah Silverman Program" from Comedy Central; "iCarly," "Dora the Explorer," "SpongeBob SquarePants," and "Yo Gabba Gabba" from Nickelodeon; and "Hot in Cleveland" from TV Land.
Amazon Prime is a $79 per year membership program that offers unlimited two-day shipping on Amazon purchase. Access to Prime Instant Video is an unusual perk of membership. The service already has licensing deals with CBS, Fox, PBS, NBCUniversal, Sony, Warner Bros., and Disney-ABC.
"Over the last year, we have received fantastic customer feedback about Prime Instant Video. We are constantly working to improve the service by adding the shows that our customers enjoy the most," says Brad Beale, director of video content acquisition for Amazon.
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