• AllThingsDigital, Wednesday, July 20, 2011 12:39 PM

Following a similar deal by rival Netflix, Amazon has added a slew of TV shows from CBS. It's all part of Amazon's broader effort to build up a digital video service that can rival the one Netflix has built, assures All Things D. "The deal is more or less a replica of the pact CBS and Netflix struck in February," which allows for access to relatively recent CBS shows that are not on the air anymore, as well as library titles, including "Frasier" and "Cheers."

Neither deal, however, includes any "in-season" episodes. Financial terms of the deal are not being discussed, but Barclays analyst Anthony DiClemente pegged the value of the CBS/Netflix deal at $200 million over two years. Adds All Things D: "It's reasonable to assume that Amazon is paying the same rate for its shows, but spending less over all. That's because the total value of the deal is likely based on Amazon's subscriber base, which is much lower than Netflix's." Wells Fargo analyst Marci Ryvicker later estimated the deal to be worth "over $100 million" over an 18-month term.

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