Netflix and Amazon.com unveiled content deals with Walt Disney Co on Monday, a sign of increased competition between the two companies in the video streaming business.
With the extension of an existing licensing agreement, Netflix will continue to stream episodes from ABC Studios, Disney Channel and ABC Family over the Internet. As part of the deal, Netflix is
also adding new content to its lineup of Disney-ABC series and TV movies.
The agreement adds to the selection of content that can be streamed from Netflix
in the United States. Episodes from new seasons of current Disney-ABC series will
be made available to Netflix 30-days after the last episode of each season airs.
Netflix will now carry episodes of ABC's "Switched at Birth", prior season episodes of Disney Channel's animated series "Kick Buttowski" and
all episodes of the ABC thriller "Alias". The company will also continue to carry every episode of ABC shows such as "Lost", "Ugly Betty", "Grey's Anatomy" and "Desperate Housewives", and a number of programs from the Disney Channel.
Amazon also announced a new licensing agreement with Disney-ABC Television Group that will allow Amazon Prime members to instantly stream a broad selection of library content from ABC Studios, Disney Channel, ABC Family and Marvel.
Popular Disney-ABC Television Group offerings for Amazon Prime members will include prior seasons of "Grey's Anatomy", "Phineas & Ferb", "The Secret Life of the American Teenager," all episodes of "Lost","Greek", "Felicity", as well as
prior seasons of Marvel's animated shows "Spider-Man" and "X-Men Evolution".
Amazon Prime costs $79 a year in the United States and gives members free 2-day shipping along with free access to almost 13,000 TV shows and movies from the company's Internet streaming service.