Amazon Expands Streaming Deal With PBS

26 Jun, 2013 By: Erik Gruenwedel

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The deal expands upon a previous agreement that landed Amazon exclusive access to prior seasons of 'Downton Abbey'

Amazon June 26 said it has expanded its streaming agreement with PBS to include myriad past seasons of the network’s programming.

The multi-year agreement adds to a previous deal that gave Amazon Prime Instant Video exclusive streaming access to past seasons of PBS hit series “Downton Abbey.”

The new deal includes past episodes of “NOVA,” “Masterpiece” and Ken Burns documentaries along with even more great PBS KIDS shows like “Caillou,” “Arthur,” “Daniels Tiger’s Neighborhood,” “Dinosaur Train” and “Wild Kratts,” among others.

All PBS KIDS programming available on Prime Instant Video is also available on Kindle FreeTime Unlimited, a service Amazon created to rival Netflix’s “Just for Kids” platform, plus explore books, games, educational apps, movies and TV shows, while providing parents with the tools they need to manage their kids’ screen time.

As previously stated, Prime Instant Video is the exclusive SVOD home of the third season of Carnival/Masterpiece co-production “Downton Abbey,” and as announced in January, Prime Instant Video will become the exclusive video subscription home for all seasons of “Downton Abbey” later this year.
Despite Amazon’s willingness to compete with Netflix in content licensing, Jason Seiken, GM of PBS Digital, reiterated that PBS stations would continue to be the first to carry the network’s original programming.

“PBS stations will always be the first place to see our premier content,” Seiken said. “Giving viewers access to our library of past programs through digital platforms like Prime Instant Video complements our broadcast service and is an important part of our strategy to reach new audiences. By expanding our relationship with Amazon we are giving PBS viewers additional ways to enjoy their favorite programs on the go or in their home, whenever they want — and providing them with even more reasons to tune into their local PBS station.”

Prime Instant Video offers more than 41,000 movies and TV episodes to stream on Kindle Fire, Kindle Fire HD, iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, Roku, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii and Wii U, among other connected TVs and devices.

This month, Prime Instant Video became the exclusive home to CBS summer series “Under the Dome,” with each episode added just four days after initial broadcast. Also announced in early June was a digital video subscription deal with Viacom.

“This [PBS] deal is exciting for Prime members and particularly for those with families — this new deal combined with the recently announced Viacom deal brings some of the most popular kids programming to Prime Instant Video, making it the perfect place for the whole family to catch up on all their favorites,” said Brad Beale, director of digital video content acquisition for Amazon.

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