Amazon Signs Streaming Deal with Fox; Now Offers 11,000 Titles

Readers and Scott received an email from Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos announcing a new streaming deal with Fox, bringing the total number of streaming titles to more than 11,000.

I have big news for Amazon Prime members - we've just signed a deal with FOX to add a broad selection of movies and TV shows to our unlimited instant streaming service later this fall. The new additions from the FOX library include 24, Arrested Development, The X-Files, Ally McBeal, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and - available on digital video for the first time - The Wonder Years. We now have deals with CBS, NBCUniversal, Sony, and Warner Bros, and adding FOX will bringthe total to more than 11,000 movies and TV shows available for unlimited instant streaming.

If you're having trouble keeping track of the different services, paidContent has put together a great chart comparing Amazon, Amazon Prime, Blockbuster, Hulu, Hulu Plus, Netflix, & Qwikster.

Comments

[John White]

Netflix has the Wonder Years on streaming...

...oh, wait. They only said they were getting the Wonder Years on streaming. It never actually materialized.

[Philippe Chaintreuil]

Does anybody else feel like streaming services are like the Nick-at-Nite from the early 90s? All the 20-year old shows you could want, but nothing recent?

AMAZON: "We signed a deal with Fox"
ME: "Great! I can catch up on the last season of Fringe before the current episodes show up on Hulu ... or hey maybe even Amazon. Cool!"
AMAZON: "The shows are from the era of "The Wonder Years", remember that? Oh... and "Ally McBeal" that was only 15-years ago!"
ME: Oh.

[moviegeek]

Most of these shows were on Netflix already, I can watch all the new Fox shows on Hulu.

Sorry Amazon Prime, I tried you a few months ago but wasn't impressed.

[Steve Lumley]

Phillipe Chainetreuil- I think it depends on what TV shows you want to watch and how anxious one is to see them. I think there are lots of quality, 1-2 year old shows I've never seen - lots from A&E, Discovery and National Geographic - shows I never thought I'd see once I cut Comcast.
But not everything I like will float someone else's boat, and vice versa.
Movies - I would like it if Netflix streamed recent major movies (from even 2 or so years ago), but I find LOTS to see that I've never seen before. Or would have had the opportunity to see if not for Netflix.

[Steve Lumley]

Phillipe Chainetreuil- I think it depends on what TV shows you want to watch and how anxious one is to see them. I think there are lots of quality, 1-2 year old shows I've never seen - lots from A&E, Discovery and National Geographic - shows I never thought I'd see once I cut Comcast.
But not everything I like will float someone else's boat, and vice versa.
Movies - I would like it if Netflix streamed recent major movies (from even 2 or so years ago), but I find LOTS to see that I've never seen before. Or would have had the opportunity to see if not for Netflix.

[vio]

WTF? Amazon gets The Wonder Years but Netflix does not(despite previously announcing they were going to!)? That's some serious BS...

[Art Artistry]

That "Chart" is garbage, they basically just copy and pasted the worst description they could find from each services website, no adaptation of the answer for the catagory they were putting the answer in.

[ClydesMP]

"Most of these shows were on Netflix already, I can watch all the new Fox shows on Hulu.

Sorry Amazon Prime, I tried you a few months ago but wasn't impressed."

Maybe you aren't, but you do pay less for watching those same shows on Amazon, and that's the point. And if you purchase a lot from Amazon, then you actually get a big bonus for you $6.62 a month. Something you sure as heck don't get from Netflix any more.

Amazon has been in the single pay streaming business for less than a year, still in it's infancy so to speak. And frankly, Amazon does have many movies and shows not available on Netflix.

How far along was Netflix after even a year? All they had was crap. And they restricted your viewing to one hour for each dollar spent or did your mind go blank on that already? I mean when Netflix launched they only had 1000 movies available for streaming. And so far Amazon is the only one willing to show it's going to put its money where it's mouth is to compete while unlike Blocbuster/Dish make the service available with no caveats. My point being that for doing this less than a year, they've way surpassed Netflix at the same stage with more content on the horizon.

As for the ragging on The Wonder Years, you may not want to see it, but it's still one of the most requested shows ever for DVD, but never released because of music rights. I wouldn't be so quick to write Amazon off. They've only just begun.

[gir]

Amazon is looking more and more attractive. I think they're poised to give NetFlix a serious run for their money, in the US if not elsewhere.

Now if they could just find a way to add something comparable to DVD rentals - some way to let people watch a handful of additional titles each month for a reasonable price (not $4 each).

[moviegeek]

ClydesMP wrote:
"All they had was crap. And they restricted your viewing to one hour for each dollar spent or did your mind go blank on that already?"

WTF are you talking about? Netflix streaming never had caps and crap is in the eye of the beholder, Amazon only had BBC TV shows until recently which I don't care for. I don't buy that much from Amazon so I don't care about 2 day shipping, I can wait a few days and get free shipping.

Netflix has way more documenteries and foreign films which I like.

[moviegeek]

One more thing:
The Amazon Prime UI sucks compared to the Netflix UI, there isn't a queue so you have to search for shows.

Right now Amazon Prime isn't ready for "prime" time, when they get more shows and update their UI I might reconsider.

[Marshall]

I want to know when Amazon gets exclusive content. The big question now is why should I switch.

Also I agree the chart is useless. It doesn't split DVD from streaming so it makes like the currently non-existent Qwickster is the top dog and we all know that isn't right.

[ClydesMP]

@moviegeek

Yes, they did limit streaming. When it started you were allowed one hour for each dollar of your membership. If you had an $18 membership, you could stream 18 hours of video. Apparently you weren't streaming at the very beginning. I was. And you can find that information just about anywhere on the net. By googling it, I found three or four articles to back me up, but you can start with the Netflix Wikipedia article if you wish, about halfway down the page.

But to each their own. I'll grant you the Amazon UI needs work, but I suspect they'll be doing that in short order. And at the rate they're adding content, I suspect it will become more attractive to a lot of people.

I like the benefits besides just streaming that I get with Amazon. I no longer see a benefit in the higher price of Netflix streaming, so Amazon and discs will do just fine for me.

[BigSaltyDookie]

Well Netflix just got The Wonder Years (with some fake Joe Cocker guy singing the original theme song. I guess the theme song was what was holding the show up so long?). Well played Netflix.

[michellescully]

I could care less if they got the wonder years with the right song in the theme, im just happy they are getting some much needed additions to the pathetic library of online streaming options. I too remember in the beginning when I could only get 18 hours per month, now the issue is there is not enough good shows or movies for me to watch 18 hours but if there were id be super stoked!