Amazon Instant Video To Exclusively Stream Select HBO Shows, Winter Not Coming


Amazon Instant Video made history today with an exclusive multi-year licensing deal with premium cable channel HBO. That means that certain older titles of HBO will soon be available for Amazon Prime members to stream online and non-Prime members would be able to rent the shows by season or by episode.

That being said, before you get all excited, Game of Thrones is not on the list that will be available on Amazon Instant Video as early as May 21st.

Shows that will be available on Amazon Instant Video in their entirety include The Sopranos, Deadwood, The Wire and Six Feet Under. In addition, movies and miniseries such as John Adams, Band of Brothers and Angels in America will also be available. In general, shows that have been off the air for around three years will be available.

The first season of True Blood, which is entering its final season this summer, will be available as well.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, HBO will make HBO Go available on the newly launched Amazon Fire TV by the end of the year.

The deal makes Amazon Instant Video look that much more appealing to people who may subscribe to Amazon Prime for the sole purpose of utilizing the company’s free shipping policy. Amazon has struggled to compete with online video streaming service Netflix, even with exclusive streaming deals for popular shows such as Downton Abbey and Under the Dome.

Amazon’s deal centering around the streaming of HBO’s older shows is likely due to HBO’s need to keep cable companies satisfied that they’re still the primary source for the most recent shows such as Game of Thrones, The Newsroom, and Veep. Still, as Forbes put it, it does definitely put Amazon Instant Video that much closer to being a serious competitor in the online streaming marketplace.

Amazon has tried to put out original programming in the past but hadn’t been very successful getting those shows off the ground. The company even tried to incorporate user voting to determine which shows were eventually aired on Amazon Instant Video.

The cost for Amazon Prime is increasing to $99 per year, but with a recent $1-2 monthly increase just announced by Netflix, Amazon Instant Video is still cheaper than Netflix. And it still comes with free shipping options.

Does this deal make Amazon Instant Video and Prime more appealing to you or is Westeros the only reason you’d but in? If you’re already a subscriber, which show do you plan on watching first?

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