Amazon Streams Epix Flicks, In Blow to Netflix

Online retailer's Prime Instant Video service now offers more than 25,000 titles

By Todd Spangler, Multichannel News -- Broadcasting & Cable, 9/4/2012 11:01:16 AM

Amazon has struck a multiyear licensing agreement in the U.S. with Epix, the movie network from Paramount Pictures, MGM and Lionsgate, to stream thousands of movies after Netflix's exclusive online window with Epix expired in August.

Amazon's Prime Instant Video service -- available to subscribers of its Prime free-shipping membership program ($79 per year) -- will add new releases through the Epix deal such as Iron Man 2, Transformers Dark of the Moon, Thor and Rango. Other titles set to premiere later on Epix include The Avengers and The Hunger Games, and Epix also will bring original programming to the Amazon service including comedy specials and concerts such as Kevin Smith: Burn in Hell and Usher: Live from London.

Netflix had two years as the exclusive online video service distributor, under its five-year output deal signed in 2010 with Epix reported to be worth close to $1 billion over that period. Under that deal, Netflix had the rights to offer movies 90 days after they debuted on Epix's pay-TV services.

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