Amazon piqued videophiles' interest when it announced that its streaming service, Amazon Prime Instant Video, would be the first to play host to HBO shows (outside of the HBO Go, of course). Today (May 21), the first wave of HBO content hit Amazon Prime, and it represents a healthy and diverse chunk of recent network hits.
For those who haven't subscribed, Amazon Prime is a service that grants free two-day shipping on most Amazon orders, grants one free Kindle book per month and gives users access to unlimited streaming for a fair portion of Amazon Instant Video for $99 per year. While users have been able to buy and rent HBO shows à la carte for years, this is the first time they have access as part of a subscription.
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For hardcore marathoners, HBO has granted Amazon the series "The Sopranos," "The Wire," "Deadwood," "Rome," "Six Feet Under," "Eastbound & Down," "Enlightened" and "Flight of the Conchords" in their entirety. "True Blood," "Boardwalk Empire" and "Treme" will be available, too, but only select seasons.
HBO's selection of miniseries and original movies is also present and accounted for. "Band of Brothers," "The Pacific," "John Adams," Parade's End" and "Angels in America" are all available in full, as are the movies "Mary and Martha," "Temple Grandin" and "You Don't Know Jack."
Those who prefer nonfiction entertainment can also rest easy, as Amazon Prime now plays host to HBO comedy specials and documentaries. At present, users can watch full performances from Louis CK, Ellen DeGeneres, Lewis Black and Bill Maher. The documentaries "When the Levees Broke," "Ghosts of Abu Ghraib," "Autopsy" and "Iceman" are also available.
While there's plenty of material (especially for fans who have never had HBO before), Amazon promises that more is on the way, including "Girls," "The Newsroom" and "Veep." "Game of Thrones," however, is still nowhere to be seen, suggesting that HBO might want to keep its biggest hit exclusive to its own service for now.
Users can watch any of these programs right now by checking out the Amazon Prime Instant Video website or one of its apps on set-top boxes or game consoles.
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