Amazon nabs Downton Abbey rights
February 4, 2013
Amazon has upped the ante in its battle for online entertainment supremacy with Netflix by securing the exclusive subscription rights to the third series of drama series Downton Abbey for its Prime Instant Video service, with the prospect of extending such exclusivity to future series.
Seasons 1 and 2 of the award-winning series are currently available on Prime Instant Video, and are the most watched TV seasons of all time on the service. Beginning June 18, 2013, Prime Instant Video will be the exclusive subscription service for streaming the all-new Season 3 of Downton Abbey, and later this year, no digital subscription service other than Prime Instant Video will offer any seasons of the series. Prime Instant Video will continue to be the exclusive subscription home through Season 4 and, if produced, Season 5 of Downton Abbey.
“Our Prime customers have spoken – they can’t get enough of the Masterpiece Classic series Downton Abbey. The series is consistently in our top most watched TV shows each week, making it the most popular TV series with Prime Instant Video customers, ever,” said Brad Beale, Director of Digital Video Content Acquisition for Amazon. “Prime Instant Video will soon be the exclusive subscription video streaming home for Downton Abbey.”