The most recent move by Netflix has given Bond fans an unexpected reason to log back in, as it’s now partnering with its largest competitor, Amazon MGM, in lending it a few of their 007 films. Starting January 15, users in the United States, France, Latin America, German-speaking countries, and other regions can now enjoy Bond’s final installment, Daniel Craig‘s “No Time to Die,” on Netflix, along with Bond films “Skyfall,” “Quantum of Solace,” and Pierce Brosnan’s “Die Another Day” for a three-month term. The most interesting fact behind this move is that Amazon owns all of Bond.
A strategic alliance, not a truce
The Bond films have been alternating on Prime Video, typically around the time of the annual Bond Day, as well as on MGM+ later in the year. Being shared on Netflix represents a bigger strategy than a surrender, as Amazon’s MGM management has consistently emphasized that the ultimate aim since the MGM acquisition has been all along to continue to license the iconic back catalog of the studio. This, of course, simply reflects what’s happening on other Amazon-owned properties, such as the Rocky, Creed, and Legally Blonde series.
Amazon MGM’s Chris Ottinger posited the crossover as an indicator that the world wants great storytelling and that the two companies have established a great working relationship despite competing platforms. This is important. With the forthcoming installment of the James Bond series announced as an extension of the critically acclaimed director Denis Villeneuve, but likely not released until 2028 or later, the series must remain relevant within popular culture. It is essential that the series permit Netflix’s vast viewership the opportunity to catch up on the series’ last installments.
These include the critically acclaimed Skyfall and the series’ farewell installment, No Time To Die. This agreement does not signify the termination of Amazon’s plans for Prime Video; it is still where a changing mix of 007 movies resides. What it illustrates is a growing pragmatism among streaming competitors, a recognition of the value of exposure over obscurity for a legendary brand. For a service like Netflix, it means a winter of stylish spying, international thrills, and a reminder of how Bond has remained cinema’s longest-running contemporary franchise after all these years.
For Amazon, it represents a new period to revitalize interest without relinquishing control. When a legend has outlived so many technological cycles, cultural cycles, and lead actors, a temporary sojourn with Netflix seems less like a transgression and more like sage advice for survival in a streaming landscape where attention is currency.
