Netflix, Amazon sign content deals with Disney

Actress Jennifer Garner greets actors Greg Grunberg (C) and VictorGarber, her co-stars on the television drama series ''Alias'' at a party in Los Angeles Hollywood August 26, 2003.

REUTERS - Netflix and Amazon.com Inc unveiled content deals with Walt Disney Co on Monday, a sign of increased competition between the two companies in the video streaming business.

Netflix said it extended its license agreement with ABC Television Group, a division of Disney, to continue to stream TV shows over the Internet.

With the extension of the existing license agreement, Netflix will also add new TV show episodes from ABC Studios, Disney Channel and the ABC Family to its existing library, it said in a statement.

Netflix will now also carry episodes of ABC's "Switched at Birth", "Alias" and prior-season episodes of Disney Channel's animated series "Kick Buttowski".

Netflix will continue to carry every episode of ABC shows such as "Lost", "Ugly Betty", "Grey's Anatomy" and "Desperate Housewives", and a number of programs from the Disney Channel.

Amazon announced a new licensing agreement with Disney-ABC Television Group that will allow Amazon Prime members to instantly stream a broad selection of library content from ABC Studios, Disney Channel, ABC Family and Marvel.

Amazon Prime costs $79 a year in the United States and gives members free 2-day shipping along with free access to almost 13,000 TV shows and movies from the company's Internet streaming service.

(Reporting by Maneesha Tiwari in Bangalore and Alistair Barr in San Francisco; Editing by Matt Driskill and Richard Chang)