Just weeks after Comcast and Amazon finally reached a deal to launch Peacock on Fire TV devices, the companies announced a streaming rights deal for Universal films.
Starting in 2022, Amazon Prime Video will get pay-one window rights to Universal films like “Jurassic World: Dominion” after they spend four months on Peacock. The deal also includes Universal animated films and some library titles. The new agreement fills in some space left open in the middle of Universal’s new exclusive streaming deal with Peacock.
IMDb TV, Amazon’s free ad-supported streaming service, is also in on the new agreement. The service will now have network-window rights for Universal’s 2020-2021 films and get access to some Universal animated films. That includes movies like “F9” and “Sing 2,” all with full exclusivity across AVOD, SVOD and FVOD (free video on-demand) during the license period.
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“Recognizing that all parties would benefit from a modernized windowing structure, this new agreement allows Prime Video and IMDb TV to benefit from UFEG’s vast library and diverse content like never before,” said Peter Levinsohn, vice chairman and chief distribution officer for the Universal Filmed Entertainment Group, in a statement. “We’re thrilled to team up with Amazon to deliver our titles to its customers. This agreement further delivers on our distribution strategy to monetize our unparalleled movie library across multiple services, while offering customers the most choice, control and flexibility in how, when and where they watch films.”
“This significant deal with UFEG is another step forward in solidifying IMDb TV’s reputation as a premium free destination for blockbuster movies,” said Lauren Anderson and Ryan Pirozzi, co-heads of content and programming at IMDb TV, in a statement. “Expanding our library with prominent UFEG titles from every genre, IMDb TV continues to deliver on our promise to provide viewers the content they crave with something for everyone."
The new licensing agreement with Amazon—which is particularly significant for IMDb TV as it competes with Samsung, Roku, Tubi, Pluto TV and others in the ad-supported streaming space—surfaces just two weeks after Peacock finally launched on Amazon Fire TV.
That deal—which arrived nearly one year after Peacock’s nationwide launch—also included an Amazon distribution agreement for NBCUniversal’s network apps including NBC, Bravo, NBC News, NBC Sports and Telemundo.