After Netflix, 'Mad Men' will now stream on Amazon
Mad Men has a new streaming home. The iconic period drama series created by Matthew Weiner will soon start running on Amazon's IMDb TV and Prime Video, as part of an ambitious deal struck by Lionsgate Television, one of the show's original producers. The move comes shortly after the series left its previous streaming home of Netflix. Here's more on this.
Netflix's pact with Lionsgate expired last month
The news comes less than a month after Mad Men bid adieu to Netflix. To recall, the streamer had paid around $1 million per episode for the show's rights in 2011. The pact reportedly expired on June 9, and Netflix decided against renewing it.
What is 'Mad Men' all about?
Set in 1960s New York, Mad Men, which originally aired on AMC network between 2007 and 2015, follows the lives of highly competitive men and women at the Madison Avenue advertising. It starred Jon Hamm, Elisabeth Moss, January Jones, Christina Hendricks, Vincent Kartheiser, Aaron Staton, Robert Morse, and Kiernan Shipka, among others. The show amassed a plethora of accolades, including 16 Emmy awards.
The show will be streamed on IMDb TV, Prime Video
Now, as per the sprawling deal, all seven seasons and 92 episodes of the series will begin streaming for free on IMDb TV in the US, starting July 15. Amazon also acquired international rights and will reportedly start streaming it on Prime Video around the world later this week. Lionsgate's streamer Starzplay also got rights to stream the show in Europe and Latin America.
'Mad Men' is an evergreen property, said Lionsgate president
Jim Packer, Lionsgate's president of worldwide television and digital distribution, said that they were pleased with the collaboration and to bring the show to a global audience. "This multifaceted agreement brings together partners from every part of the content ecosystem, and it allows a whole new generation of fans to enjoy one of the greatest television series ever made," Packer said about the deal.
'Mad Men' episode to provide disclaimer for blackface scene
On a related note, a season three episode of Mad Men, where a central character called Roger Sterling (John Slattery) appears in blackface, will now feature a disclaimer to provide context to the scene. The move is similar to how HBO Max recently introduced a disclaimer explaining that Gone With the Wind "denies the horrors of slavery".
A win-win situation for streamers
The move highlights Amazon's strategy to acquire more and more ad-supported free content for IMDb TV, while Netflix continues to focus on bringing in newer shows and expanding its subscribers base. Notably, IMDb, under Amazon Studios, also acquired other popular series, including the likes of Friday Night Lights, Revenge, Malcolm in the Middle, White Collar, and Desperate Housewives.
