Amazon delves further into YouTube through licensing pact with indie animator Glitch

Sci-fi horror comedy Murder Drones is set in a post-apocalyptic world

Tech giant Amazon has signed a multi-title licensing deal with Glitch Productions, the independent animation studio behind popular YouTube titles such as Murder Drones and The Amazing Digital Circus.

Under the deal, Prime Video has licensed sci-fi horror comedy Murder Drones, which has racked up more than 270 million views on the Google-owned platform.

All eight episodes of the show, which takes place in a frozen post-apocalyptic world with hormonal (and sometimes murderous) robots, have launched on Prime Video.

Amazon has not yet confirmed which other titles are covered by the deal. Some of Glitch Productions’ titles have garnered even bigger viewership than Murder Drones, with the first episode of dark psychological comedy The Amazing Digital Circus having generated 373 million views.

Of course, this is not the first time Amazon has looked to YouTube to source content. Most famously, it has partnered with the world’s biggest YouTuber, Mr Beast.

However, the new deal with Glitch appears to be more akin to a straight-ahead licensing deal, while Amazon paid MrBeast US$100m to make season one of Beast Games exclusively for Prime Video. Last week, it revealed it had commissioned an additional two seasons of the reality competition series.

Rival streamer Netflix is also increasingly looking for opportunities to license content and adapt YouTube-originated IP into originals. Earlier this year, the streaming giant non-exclusively licensed several episodes of Ms Rachel, the preschool content creator, and also greenlit a live version of dating format Pop the Balloon.

Glitch Productions was founded in 2017 by brothers Kevin and Luke Lerdwichagul, based in Sydney. Murder Drones is created, directed and written by Liam Vickers and produced by Glitch Productions.

With the deal, the Lerdwichagul brothers said they will continue to keep “full creative control” over all their series, which will “always continue to be released” on YouTube.

“Our mission has always been to creatively and systemically change the animation industry for the better. As part of this higher vision, we’ve partnered with Prime Video, who have agreed to support us and our future shows in a multi-title licensing deal,” said the brothers.

“What this means is, we keep operating independently, doing what we’re doing, and Prime Video will give us the support necessary to do more for indie animation and creators than we could have previously.”