Tech

Amazon completes MGM merger, will add studio’s films and TV to Prime Video

Illustration of the MGM logo with a picture of Jeff Bezos instead of a lion, James Bond actor Daniel Craig, and a man wearing a jacket with an Amazon logo.

Enlarge (credit: Aurich Lawson | Steve Jurvetson)

Amazon announced on Thursday that it has completed its acquisition of MGM, saying the iconic maker of movies and TV shows is joining Prime Video and Amazon Studios. “The storied, nearly century-old studio—with more than 4,000 film titles, 17,000 TV episodes, 180 Academy Awards, and 100 Emmy Awards—will complement Prime Video and Amazon Studios’ work in delivering a diverse offering of entertainment choices to customers,” Amazon said.

The $8.45 billion deal was announced in May 2021. Amazon was able to complete it without a protracted fight because the Federal Trade Commission hasn’t challenged it in court, despite other conflicts between Amazon and the FTC.

“The move comes after Amazon certified to the Federal Trade Commission that it had provided all the information requested by antitrust investigators reviewing the deal,” The Wall Street Journal wrote today. “That step put the deal on a regulatory clock with the agency that has now expired, leaving the company free to move forward, a person familiar with the matter said.”

Read 5 remaining paragraphs | Comments