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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