Amazon has completed the $8.5 billion purchase of legendary film and television studio MGM. The James Bond and Rocky franchises are therefore now part of the Prime Video Video library.
Amazon has closed its $8.45 billion deal with MGM, which will feature James Bond and an assortment of other hit classics under the ever-widening wings of the e-commerce giant. This operation will allow Amazon to considerably enrich the catalog of its Prime Video streaming service, more precisely by 4,000 films and 17,000 hours of TV programs.
Thanks to the acquisition of MGM, Amazon has acquired the rights to the famous James Bond franchise. In addition to Agent 007, Amazon now has other classics like the Pink Panther, the Silence of the Lambs and the Fargo TV seriesto recite nobody else but them.
MGM takeover could have been illegal
Note that this transaction is Amazon’s second most expensive acquisition after Whole Foods in 2017 and comes despite reports of a months-long investigation by the Federal Trade Commission. Indeed, we had learned last summer that the acquisition of MGM could have been illegal.
However, The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this month that Amazon certified to the Federal Trade Commission that it had provided the information requested by antitrust investigators regarding the deal, adding that it could be free to complete the purchase if the commission does not file a complaint before the mid-March deadline.
Start of the week, the European Union Antitrust Commission has given the green light to Amazon’s purchase, noting that ” the transaction raises no competition concerns “, the ” overlaps between the two companies being limits “. Amazon appears to have considered that approval sufficient and closed the deal nearly a year after the two companies approved it.
” We welcome MGM employees, creators and talent to Prime Video and Amazon Studios, and look forward to working together to create even more opportunities to deliver quality stories to our customers. “, announced the American giant.
Source: Amazon
