Amazon ‘dropping Viacom reality shows’

Amazon will remove numerous Viacom reality series from its US Prime Instant Video service, according to various US reports.

These said Viacom-distributed series including MTV show Teen Mom and VH1 franchise Mob Wives will be pulled.

Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman told analysts and investors at the MoffettNathanson Conference that the reality fair coming offline was older content. “They are generally not current shows,” he said. “We have shows rotating in and rotating out.”

Amazon has been investing heavily in original kids shows, comedy and one-hour dramas.

If it drops the Viacom shows it will be seen as another sign its focus is increasingly on its own content and acquired scripted fare, with factual and reality declining in importance.

Amazon originally picked up the Viacom fare after an earlier deal with Netflix came to an end. The decision to cull several of its shows will not, the reports said, extend to its kids shows from Nickelodeon.