Amazon is deepening its relationship with President Trump.
Amazon Prime Video announced on Monday that multiple seasons of “The Apprentice,” the 2000s reality series that helped raise Mr. Trump’s profile on a national stage, would soon be available on the streaming service.
The show’s first season, which premiered in 2004, is available on Prime Video starting Monday. Amazon said that a new season of “The Apprentice” would be made available each week, culminating with the show’s seventh season, which will make its debut to the streaming service in late April.
Mr. Trump expressed his enthusiastic approval in a statement released by Amazon.
“I look forward to watching this show myself — such great memories, and so much fun, but most importantly, it was a learning experience for all of us!” he said.
This is the second prominent deal that Amazon has made with the Trump family this year. In January, Amazon announced that it would release a “behind the scenes” documentary about Melania Trump, the first lady. Mrs. Trump will be an executive producer of the documentary, and Amazon said at the time that it was “excited to share this truly unique story.”
Jeff Bezos, Amazon’s founder, said late last year he was “very optimistic” about the incoming Trump administration. Like other tech giants and Silicon Valley companies, Amazon donated $1 million to Mr. Trump’s inaugural fund.
Mr. Bezos also owns The Washington Post, which has been going through a prolonged period of tumult, including after Mr. Bezos decided not to have the paper endorse a candidate in the 2024 presidential election. Mr. Bezos is retooling the paper’s opinion section, which he said would emphasize “personal liberties and free markets.”
“The Apprentice” was a hit for NBC when it debuted in 2004, though the show’s ratings lost steam over time.
Mr. Trump was an executive producer of the show, and as a result he would almost certainly receive compensation from the new deal with Amazon. A spokesman for the company declined to comment on financial arrangements.
In a statement, Mark Burnett, the reality show mogul who served as an executive producer of “The Apprentice,” expressed his excitement over the new streaming deal.
“‘The Apprentice’ is one of the best shows that I ever produced,” Mr. Burnett said in a statement released by Amazon.
Content Source: www.nytimes.com