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The Walking Dead’s Robert Kirkman is moving to Amazon

By Sonya Iryna

BEVERLY HILLS, CA - JULY 29: Writer Robert Kirkman of 'Visionaries: Robert Kirkman's Secret History of Comics Docuseries' speaks onstage during The Walking Dead AMC/Sundance TV portion of the 2017 Summer Television Critics Association Press Tour at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on July 29, 2017 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images for AMC)
BEVERLY HILLS, CA - JULY 29: Writer Robert Kirkman of 'Visionaries: Robert Kirkman's Secret History of Comics Docuseries' speaks onstage during The Walking Dead AMC/Sundance TV portion of the 2017 Summer Television Critics Association Press Tour at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on July 29, 2017 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images for AMC) /
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The Walking Dead will remain with AMC for now but Robert Kirkman and Skybound will be developing new projects for Amazon that will be released on Amazon Prime.

Streaming video is quickly becoming the norm for TV and movie fans. Companies like Hulu, Netflix and now Amazon are moving quickly to strike deals with some of the biggest players in TV.

Amazon scored an exclusive first look deal with Robert Kirkman and his company Skybound Entertainment, according to news that broke today on Deadline and The Hollywood Reporter.

The deal means that Robert Kirkman will be developing new shows and content exclusively for Amazon. Those projects will likely be part of the library of content available to subscribers of Amazon Prime. This deal is a big shake up for AMC. Kirkman has had a deal with AMC for the last few years.

For now The Walking Dead will remain at AMC, but in the future that might change under the terms of Kirkman’s new deal with Amazon.

Kirkman had this to say about his new agreement with Amazon:

"“At Skybound Entertainment we strive to tell the best stories in the most unique and creative ways in an effort to always break new ground. A forward thinking company like Amazon is the perfect home for us. Their new foray into genre fiction has us at peak optimism for what can be accomplished during this unprecedented partnership. Sharon Tal Yguado has been an instrumental force in the success of Walking Dead and Outcast from day one. Being able to not only continue that relationship, but also expand it into new territory with the vast resources of Amazon, means great things are ahead for myself, David Alpert, Skybound and fans of awesome entertainment. Look out world, here we come!”"

The Growth of Streaming Services

Cable TV ratings have been dropping steadily for over a year as people get rid of expensive cable TV subscriptions and move to online streaming services like Amazon Video, Hulu, and Netflix. Streaming companies have been creating industry changing content like Hulu’s adaptation of The Handmaid’s Tale and Netflix’s award winning original programs like Stranger Things.

Even the premium cable channels like HBO, STARZ and Showtime are getting into the streaming game. They have launched their own streaming services that are available through Amazon for a small subscription fee. The subscription for most of the premium channels is about half the cost of subscriptions through traditional cable. STARZ scored record views for its adaptation of the novel American Gods this summer by making the show available on its streaming platform.

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What Does This Mean For The Walking Dead?

For now nothing should change for The Walking Dead or Fear The Walking Dead. Kirkman’s deal with Amazon only applies to future projects that will be developed with Amazon and Skybound working together. But as cable ratings continue to fall off in the future the survivors on The Walking Dead and Fear The Walking Dead may move to Amazon instead of AMC.

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