Can Jack Bauer Help Amazon Stop a Netflix Attack?

The following takes place between Netflix's success and Netflix's demise. Events occur in real-time.

Earlier today, Twentieth Century Fox announced a

with Amazon

, bringing a handful of movies (Speed, Office Space, and Mrs. Doubtfire, to name a few) and TV shows (such as The X-Files, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Ally McBeal) to Amazon Prime. This announcement comes just one day after Netflix

revealed a

with DreamWorks Animation

. Amazon hopes to use the aforementioned films and TV series – along with 24, Arrested Development and The Wonder Years – to lure

to its Prime service. Will it work? Jack Bauer's agency, CTU, declined to comment on the matter.

You might be…if this were 1988. But a lot has changed since then. Shows like The Wonder Years (and its spiritual successor, Boy Meets World) couldn't make it in today's TV market. In fact, The Wonder Years can't even make it in syndication anymore, which is why Fox

is finally willing to release it in streaming form. Sadly, the same is (mostly) true for the other shows that Fox is bringing to Amazon. In fact, the only one of those shows that seems to have any success in syndication is Buffy, which has been airing on a variety of cable networks for years. By now, Fox won't lose any syndication revenue by putting it online. Given Buffy's cult following, the Amazon deal will likely increase Buffy's revenue stream. In terms of announcements, Amazon

has just given Netflix

another reason to worry. While the Reed Hastings enterprise is bragging this week for taking DreamWorks away from HBO, Amazon has secured a deal that might be much more important in the long run. Right now, Fox is providing Amazon with as little content as possible. Most of the aforementioned shows are already available on Amazon in pay-per-episode form, while Hulu Plus subscribers have been able to stream every season of Buffy, Ally McBeal, Arrested Development and The X-Files for several months. This shouldn't come as too big of a shock; after all, Fox is a co-owner of Hulu. But it means that when the Amazon deal goes into effect, 24 and The Wonder Years will be the only shows that you won't find anywhere else.

If looked at only in the present, this deal is kind of sad. It wouldn't have been too difficult for Fox to provide a few additional exclusives. That ‘70s Show (one of Fox's strongest shows) is doing too well in syndication to be streamed online. But what about Prison Break, which is already on Hulu? Boston Public and New York Undercover are two of the few Fox dramas that lasted four seasons – why aren't they on the initial list? Party of Five and The O.C. seem like no-brainers to me, but they are nowhere to be found in Amazon's announcement. Viewers can still pay to stream select episodes of Party of Five, however. House, Fox's biggest drama next to 24, was also absent from the list. While Hulu Plus subscribers can currently watch all of season seven at no additional charge, Amazon users still have to pay $1.99 per episode. This might make you wonder if

will care about today's announcement. For the most part, the answer is no. It's not as if thousands of people are going to subscribe to Amazon Prime just to watch old episodes of The Wonder Years. But those who already subscribe might be excited – especially those who don't also subscribe to Hulu Plus.

While Netflix may very well earn a few subscribers for securing a deal with DreamWorks, the company has argued that consumers don't use the service for new movies. If that's true, then why should I care about this deal? I already own Minority Report, Cast Away and How to Train Your Dragon (three of DreamWorks' best films). I've already seen Shrek and Kung Fu Panda. Those are the “old” movies. So why should I care about this streaming deal? Television is different. While movies are typically a standalone experience, TV often requires – and frequently inspires – viewers to see every episode. Thus, a full season of Glee could be worth far more to Amazon than a selection of old DreamWorks movies will be worth to Netflix. (Note that I say this not as a fan of Glee but as someone who has

of it and most other primetime shows.) This is where Amazon has the edge. In the coming months, I expect Prime to continue beefing up its Fox lineup with additional shows. And by fall 2012, I wouldn't be surprised if nearly every current Fox program (sitcom, drama, or reality TV) was available on Prime.