Amazon signs deal to stream Fox movies

SEATTLE — Amazon.com Inc. has signed a deal to stream Fox movies and TV shows including "24" and "Arrested Development" to members of its Amazon Prime premium shipping program.

Financial terms were not disclosed. Amazon said the deal with Twentieth Century Fox will bring the total number of instant videos it offers to Prime customers to 11,000. Amazon began offering about 5,000 movies and TV shows from its free on-demand video service to members of the $79-a-year Prime service in February. It later added about 2,000 TV show episodes from CBS Corp.

Amazon is expanding its licensing deals to stream content as competition heats up. Netflix Inc. recently came under fire from customers for separating its streaming and DVD-by-mail plans and raising the price for subscribers who want both. On Monday, however, it announced an exclusive deal to stream movies from DreamWorks Animation.

Blockbuster, meanwhile, is launching a service that bundles DVDs-by-mail and Internet video streaming for as little as $10 per month, the price Netflix charged before it raised its prices. Blockbuster is owned by Dish Network Corp.

Shares of Amazon climbed $5.07, or 2.3 percent, to $228.68 in morning trading. The stock has traded between $151.40 and $244 over the past 52 weeks.