Seattle – Amazon said Wednesday it has reached a content licensing agreement with HBO that will make Prime Instant Video the exclusive online-only subscription home for select HBO programming.
Beginning May 21, Amazon Prime members will have unlimited streaming access to 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. Seasons of Girls, The Newsroom and Veep will also become available over the course of the multi-year agreement, approximately three years after airing on HBO.
Amazon also announced that HBO GO will soon 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.
Amazon said the deal marks the first time that HBO programming has been licensed to an online-only subscription streaming service. The programming will remain on all HBO platforms.
“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, Amazon content acquisition director. “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.”
The news follows a series of other recent content exclusives for Prime customers including deals with Twentieth Century Fox, Tribeca Film, BBC America, MTV and FX.
“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, HBO programming sales president.
The programming will be available to Amazon Prime members on hundreds of compatible Amazon Instant Video devices, including Fire TV, Kindle Fire HDX, Kindle Fire HD, iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, Roku, Xbox, PlayStation and the Wii.
Prime Instant Video is the only U.S. online subscription streaming service that enables offline viewing. Customers can download tens of thousands of Prime Instant Video titles to their new Kindle Fire HD or Kindle Fire HDX.
