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Just one day after Netflix signed a mega deal to be the exclusive streaming service to carry new seasons of CW shows, Amazon has jumped into the ring, signing an exclusive contract with Warner Bros. studios.
The new contract, according to Variety, means that Amazon has the rights to 33 films, which includes The Matrix trilogy, the first three Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle movies and Space Jam. The deal will last through the end of 2016 when Amazon can either renew its contract with Warner Bros. or the studio can partner up with another streaming service, like Netflix or Hulu, instead.
The deal comes at a time when Amazon is trying to bulk up its catalogue of movie titles from third-party distributors when competitors like Netflix are signing less contracts with studios in order to make more room for original content. While recent numbers from Nielsen prove that there's a demand for original content — Orange is the New Black scored 5.6 million viewers during the first two days of the fourth season's launch — statistically, people are still turning to streaming services to watch older shows. When Seinfeld was released on Hulu, for example, more than 700,000 people tuned into catch old episodes.
In order to access the films, Amazon users have to be subscribed to Prime. The service costs $99 a year and also gives users access to other parts of Amazon's service, including its retail and music compartments.
