FILE PHOTO: Smartphone with Amazon logo is seen in front of displayed MGM logo in this illustration taken, May 26, 2021. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration
May 26, 2021
(Reuters) – Amazon.com Inc on Wednesday snapped up MGM, the fabled U.S. movie studio behind the James Bond franchise, for $8.45 billion, in what will be its second-biggest acquisition ever as the e-commerce giant moves deeper into several sectors.
The deal opens up a vast library of hit movies and TV shows, for Amazon, including “The Handmaid’s Tale”, “Vikings” and “Shark Tank”, and further strengthens its Prime video streaming service.
The announcement by the e-commerce giant comes more than a week after AT&T, the owner of HBO and Warner Bros studios, and Discovery, home to lifestyle TV networks such as HGTV and TLC, said they would combine their content to form a standalone global entertainment and media business in a $43 billion deal.
Here is a timeline of Amazon’s largest deals over the last 20 years:
2020 – Agrees to buy California-based self-driving startup Zoox Inc in a deal reported to be worth more than $1 billion that gives it options to use autonomous technology in either ride-hailing or its delivery network. (https://reut.rs/3oWjNBG)
2019 – Agrees to acquire a 49% stake in a unit of India’s Future Group which owns 7.3% of Future Retail, giving the U.S.-based company a 3.58% stake in the retailer which operates more than 1,500 stores in the country. (https://reut.rs/3hSVpz6)
2018 – Agrees to buy video doorbell maker Ring, in a growing bet on delivering packages inside of shoppers’ homes and on home security. (https://reut.rs/3yHMuXc)
2018 – Agrees to acquire small online pharmacy PillPack, a move to compete with drugstore chains, drug distributors and pharmacy benefit managers. (https://reut.rs/34jglrb)
2017 – Says it would buy Whole Foods Market Inc for $13.7 billion, in what has been its biggest ever deal so far. (https://reut.rs/3wwQ1Wv)
2017 – Clinches deal to buy Middle East online retailer Souq.com. Financial terms were not disclosed. (https://reut.rs/3ui71yb)
2017 – An affiliate of the company agrees to buy a 1.79 billion-rupee ($27.6 million) stake in Indian retailer Shoppers Stop Ltd (https://reut.rs/3vlL4ji)
2014 – Snaps up live-streaming gaming network Twitch Interactive for about $970 million in cash. (https://reut.rs/3yxMCZD)
2012 – Agrees to buy robotic technology company Kiva Systems Inc for $775 million in cash. (https://reut.rs/3yBMPL3)
2010 – Buys the owner of online shopping sites Diapers.com and Soap.com, Quidsi, for $500 million. (https://reut.rs/3wDhhD3)
2009 – Pays about $928 million to acquire online shoe retailer Zappos.com. (https://reut.rs/3wypjgc)
(Reporting by Eva Mathews in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D’Silva)
Source: One America News Network
