Vimeo is moving on up in the streaming service world. After declaring its stake in the original content game last year and then rolling out a program to support female filmmakers this year, Vimeo desperately wants the world to know there’s more than just Hulu and Netflix out there. Now, the company has struck its biggest deal yet. According to Deadline, Lionsgate is partnering with Vimeo to license content for the streaming service’s global television store. It’s the first time a Hollywood studio has made an exclusive licensing deal with Vimeo, which is about to score titles from both Hulu and Netflix, making its TV offerings a lot less sad in the process.
Series coming to Vimeo include Orange Is The New Black, Casual, The Royals, Mad Men, Weeds, Nurse Jackie, Boss, Blue Mountain State, and Manhattan. Under the deal, Lionsgate’s entire catalog of nearly 80 television shows will be available on Vimeo in the U.S. and over 150 other countries. Vimeo users in the U.S. will also be able to rent Lionsgate movies when the partnership officially launches on October 18.
According to Barry Diller, chairman and senior executive of Vimeo’s parent company IAC, Lionsgate is “the first of many top Hollywood studios we expect to attract in the months to come.” The Lionsgate deal certainly makes them a more competitive player in this streaming war, and if Vimeo is gunning for more deals, they may one day no longer be the Ann Veal of streaming services.
