The internet is a mighty spacious frontier, but apparently it ain’t big enough for both Amazon and Netflix, as the two continue to favor the ten-paces-and-spin approach, over the Kumbaya-by-the-campfire method. Yesterday, Amazon fired off another round by announcing it had inked an exclusive deal to offer FX’s “Justified” on Prime Instant Video.
This news arrives on the heels of Amazon’s high profile lassoing of Downton Abbey, an equally popular but diametrically different show. The deal with Sony Pictures Television means that, after paying an annual $80 subscription fee, Prime Instant Video users will have unfettered access to seasons 1-3 of the new-age western, with season 4 (still in progress) arriving after it’s done airing. If your clicking finger is a bit itchy, however, you can purchase the more recent installments as soon as they’re done airing, at a cost of $2 a pop.
This deal is important not just because Amazon is aggressively pursuing content, but also because of the diversity of that content. The English countryside is a far cry from the coal-mining towns of eastern Kentucky, and as Amazon amasses a catalog of exclusives, that diversity should pay dividends, attracting customers from several different demographics.
For Prime Instant Video subscribers, Justified is available at the ideal price and at the perfect time: Free and now.
