Amazon has just scored another win for science fiction fans by getting the exclusive rights to stream CBS’s upcoming series ‘Extant‘ which stars Halle Berry (‘X-Men: Days of Future Past‘,’Cloud Atlas‘) in her first TV show. Not only did they get an exclusive for Prime subscribers, but the episodes will be able to be viewed only four days after they are aired on television instead of the usual longer wait!
This isn’t the first deal CBS has struck with Amazon and we may be seeing a trend for their future shows following suit. This also occurred last year for their hit summer series of ‘Under the Dome‘ which also followed the same four days later streaming treatment. With the show’s first season one of the most watched TV series on Amazon Prime, and the second season already being given the same deal, I have a feeling that we’re going to be seeing more announcements like this between the two companies as time goes on.
We all know how this benefits Amazon Prime over rival streaming services such as Netflix or Hulu, but how does it benefit CBS? Well for ‘Under the Dome’, it offsets the cost of launching a new series during the summer months which usually have lower ratings as everyone is out enjoying the sun instead of this arctic freeze much of the company is currently experiencing.
According to CBS’ chief corporate licensing officer Scott Koondel:
“Our partnership with Amazon for Under the Dome helped build a creative, financial and marketing model for event television in the summer We look forward to using the same model for Extant, a series whose creative auspices, on-screen talent and intriguing concept is already generating great excitement.”
Amazon’s director of content acquisition for digital video Brad Beale also chimed in with “We received very positive feedback from Prime members about this summer’s exclusive access to Under the Dome. Customers loved being able to watch the show just days after it aired as well as catching up on previous episodes. We are thrilled to offer Prime members this access for Extant, another exciting new show from CBS..
Sure seems like a win for everyone here, consumers (who are Prime members) included!
Are you looking forward to checking out ‘Extant’? Will you be watching it live, On Demand, or through Amazon Prime?
Synopsis:
In a thrilling drama, Berry will play an astronaut who returns home from a year-long solo mission in space and tries to reconnect with her husband and son in their everyday life. Her experiences in space and home lead to events that ultimately will change the course of human history.
‘Extant’ will star Halle Berry and is being produced by Steven Spielberg for a Summer 2014 release.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
