The Vikings Are Coming To The UK & Germany,Via LOVEFiLM, Not By Boat.

Amazon’s LOVEFiLM service is still going strong and TV production companies have been taking note more and more in the last few years, now we find that the premiere of the highly-rated and critically acclaimed epic U.S. television series “VIKINGS,” will air exclusively on LOVEFiLM Instant in the UK and Germany, making the streaming service the first and only place to watch the hit series in these countries.

From May 24th 2013, members of LOVEFiLM Instant here the UK will be able to watch all 9 episodes of high-definition Norse action before anyone can watch it on traditional TV networks.

The Vikings is an epic adventure about Norse hero Ragnar Lothbrok, who explores distant shores of the ocean, with the stereotypical drinking, fighting, erm… love makings more that you might expect, but will it prove more successful that the fantastic Game of Thrones series? I doubt it, but it should still be epic fun.

The show has an all star filled cast and a few bonus famous faces thrown in for good measure, but that’s not really what I wanted to focus on in this article. Streaming TV / Movie networks such as LOVEFiLM are clearly here to stay and with each one catching more and more lime light and ever more exclusives, is this really the begging of the end for traditional TV networks? Personally I never thought that LOVEFiLM and Netflix would catch on, much in the same way most people said that Steam would not work when that launched for PC gaming.

Chris Bird, Director, Film Strategy at LOVEFiLM, said “As the first time a TV series has arrived on LOVEFiLM Instant before airing on traditional broadcasting platforms, this is an incredibly exciting landmark in our history. We are serious about securing the best film and TV entertainment for our members and this demonstrates how content creators view LOVEFiLM as an effective broadcasting medium for their high-quality and premium entertainment.”

Chris Ottinger, President, International Television Distribution and Acquisitions, said: “MGM Television is thrilled to bring the epic #1 new cable series in the U.S., ‘VIKINGS’, to Amazon’s LOVEFiLM members for their first-ever, exclusive streaming experience in the United Kingdom and Germany. We are always identifying exciting, alternative distribution platforms for our premium content across the globe and are looking forward to captivating new audiences with ‘VIKINGS’ through LOVEFiLM.”

“VIKINGS” will premiere on LOVEFiLM Instant in the UK on May 24th 2013 and Germany on 15th June 2013 and will be available exclusively on the streaming service in both countries. If this proves more successful for the network, I can see more and more shows going online before going straight to TV, if they prove popular enough overall, some shows may never come to TV and could choose to stay on streaming networks.