Amazon buys MGM: What big hits will Netflix, Stan and Foxtel lose?
What does the US$8.45 billion acquisition mean for Australian streaming – and James Bond?
Amazon is buying out movie giant MGM in a US$8.45 billion deal that will ultimately see thousands of shows shift from existing services in Australia onto Amazon Prime Video.
Amazon's deal gives it ownership of 4,000 titles, said to offer 17,000 hours of viewing pleasure and some 180 Oscars between them. It's fair to assume they will all, eventually, end up on Amazon Prime Video. However, currently, the lion's share of this catalogue is already licensed to other streaming services in Australia.
As these agreements run out, we can expect MGM content to move to Amazon Prime Video worldwide. We saw the same process with Disney+.
In recent years we've seen HBO Max, Apple TV+ and Disney+ arrive, and Paramount+ is launching this year. That has seen shows shift from existing services such as Netflix, Stan and BINGE.
So, let's dive in and see how Amazon buying MGM might impact your viewing habits.
Who loses out on Amazon's MGM purchase in Australia?
Here's where a selection of popular MGM titles are currently streaming. Many of these are on Stan, which has heavily marketed the availability of James Bond, a major MGM property.
| Title | Currently streaming on | TV or film | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| A Star is Born | Not available | Film | 1 film |
| Basic Instinct | Stan, Foxtel Now, Binge | Films | 2 films |
| Ben-Hur | Stan | Films | 2 films |
| Candyman | In development | Film | 1 film |
| Casablanca | Not available | Film | 1 film |
| Clarice | Stan | TV | 1 season |
| Creed | Stan | Films | 3 films (one in production) |
| Fargo | Netflix | TV | 4 seasons |
| G.I. Joe | Stan, Netflix | Films | 2 films |
| Hot Tub Time Machine | Stan, Foxtel Now, Binge | Films | 2 films |
| House of Gucci | In development | Film | 1 film |
| James Bond | Stan | Films | 26 films (one in production) |
| Legally Blonde | Stan | Films | 3 films (one in production) |
| Malcom in the Middle | Not available | TV | 7 seasons |
| Moonstruck | Not available | Film | 1 film |
| Pink Panther | Stan | Films | 11 films |
| Poltergeist | Foxtel Now, Binge | Film | 1 film |
| Poltergeist II and Remake | Stan | Films | 2 films |
| Raging Bull | Stan | Film | 1 film |
| Respect | In development | Film | 1 film |
| Robocop | Stan | Films and TV | 5 films |
| Rocky | Stan | Films | 6 films |
| Samaritan | In development | Film | 1 film |
| Shark Tank | Not available | TV | 12 seasons |
| Snake Eyes | In development | Film | 1 film |
| Spaceballs | Not available | Film | 1 film |
| Stargate | Stan, Foxtel Now | Film | 1 film |
| Stargate Atlantis | Stan | TV | 5 seasons |
| Stargate Continuum | Foxtel Now | Film | 1 film |
| Stargate SG-1 | Stan | TV | 10 seasons |
| Survivor | Tenplay | TV | 41 seasons |
| Teen Wolf | Stan, Foxtel Now | Films | 2 films |
| Teen Wolf | Stan, Prime Video | TV | 6 seasons |
| The Addams Family (animated films) | Foxtel Now | Films | 2 films (one in production) |
| The Apprentice | Not available | TV | 15 seasons |
| The Cabin the Woods | Stan | Film | 1 film |
| The Handmaid's Tale | Stan, SBS | TV | 4 seasons |
| The Hobbit Trilogy | Stan | Films | 3 films |
| The Magnificent Seven (Original) | Amazon Prime | Film | 1 film |
| The Princess Bride | Stan | Film | 1 film |
| The Silence of the Lambs | Stan, Foxtel Now | Film | 1 film |
| The Thomas Crown Affair | Stan | Films | 2 films |
| The Twilight Zone | Not available | Film and TV | 5 seasons (1959), 3 seasons (1985) and 1 film |
| The Wizard of Oz | Not available | Film | 1 film |
| Tomb Raider | Stan | Films | 4 films (one in production) |
| Vikings | Netflix | TV | 6 seasons |
| Wrath of Man | In Cinemas | Film | 1 film |
| Zookeeper | Stan | Film | 1 film |
The James Bond series has an intriguing distribution rights agreement. MGM owns the property, but the rights for distribution (at least in the USA) are owned by Eon Productions. As such, it's unclear how much influence Amazon will have over where it is aired in Australia. As the biggest property in MGM's catalogue, you'd have to imagine that Amazon would have demanded James Bond for its service.
Will Amazon Prime Video reboot MGM properties?
As the new owner of these famous properties, Amazon also intends to reboot or extend many of these franchises.
"The real financial value behind this deal is the treasure trove of IP in the deep catalogue that we plan to reimagine and develop together with MGM's talented team," said Mike Hopkins, senior VP for Prime Video and Amazon Studios. Amazon has already taken that approach with The Lord Of The Rings, with a multi-million dollar series currently in production in New Zealand.
What is MGM Entertainment?
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, better known as MGM, was one of Hollywood's first major studios. It was founded on 17 April 1924. It was the biggest motion picture studio through to the 1950s.
However, in the 1960s the company began a slow death that took a further 60 years to unfold. It stopped being its own giant, releasing content more frequently through partners and co-producing many of its productions. Multiple buyers came and went, and there was even a period of bankruptcy in 2010.
Despite its troubles, MGM has consistently released popular and beloved movies, none bigger than the James Bond series.
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