James Bond meets Amazon in $8.5B merger to rival streaming giants

James Bond is merging with online retail, Amazon has closed its $8.5 billion dollar deal to buy MGM

The online retailing giant is looking to draw consumers through its streaming service.

Its decision to close comes after a deadline passed for the U.S. Federal Trade Commission to challenge the deal

Amazon announced the transaction back in May last year, and Nearly a year later, Amazon is clear of regulatory hurdles

“MGM has a nearly century-long legacy of producing exceptional entertainment, and we share their commitment to delivering a broad slate of original films and television shows to a global audience,”

“We welcome MGM employees, creators, and talent to Prime Video and Amazon Studios, and we look forward to working together to create even more opportunities to deliver quality storytelling to our customers.”

Mike Hopkins, senior VP of Prime Video and Amazon Studios

MGM will boost Amazon Prime Video’s offering with more than 4,000 film titles

Amazon hopes its impressive movie titles and long list of television shows may help Prime compete with streaming rivals Netflix and Disney plus.

There is no word on layoffs Amazon stating it would welcome all MGM employees to the company and work with the studio’s leadership

According to an Amazon rep, with the deal closed, MGM’s management team is joining the group headed by Mike Hopkins, senior VP of Prime Video and Amazon Studios. That includes film chief Michael De Luca and television group head Mark Burnett.

“MGM has been responsible for the creation of some of the most well-known and critically acclaimed films and television series of the past century. We look forward to continuing that tradition as we head into this next chapter, coming together with the great team at Prime Video and Amazon Studios to provide audiences with the very best in entertainment for years to come.”

Chris Brearton, chief operating officer of MGM.