CNN
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“The Apprentice,” the NBC reality show that propelled Donald Trump from real estate mogul to TV personality, is getting the streaming treatment at Amazon’s Prime Video.
Amazon on Monday announced the show’s first seven seasons will stream exclusively on Prime Video, with the first season hitting the platform Monday and subsequent seasons hitting the platform every week. The reality TV show, which debuted in 2004, involved 16 candidates partaking in various challenges for a $250,000 salary as an apprentice at The Trump Organization.
The Mark Burnett-created show ran for 15 seasons, airing around 200 episodes in the United States. “The Apprentice” maintained its name for seven seasons (Seasons 1-6 and 10) but was rebranded as “The Celebrity Apprentice” for the other eight seasons. Trump hosted all seasons except the final one, which was helmed by former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.
“‘The Apprentice’ is one of the best shows that I ever produced,” Burnett, whose credits include “The Voice,” “Survivor” and “Shark Tank,” said in a statement. “Now, thanks to Prime Video, a whole new audience will experience a new season every Monday.”
“The Apprentice” is widely recognized as helping boost Trump into the national spotlight. The early seasons were massively successful, drawing an average weekly audience of 20 million viewers, per Amazon. Trump departed the show in 2015 to kick off his first presidential campaign, but he’ll likely profit from Prime Video’s acquisition since he also served as its executive producer.
Prime Video did not respond to CNN’s request for comment about how much Trump stands to make in the deal. A New York Times estimate in September 2020 showed Trump made millions in product placement off the show.
“The Apprentice” streaming on Amazon marks the second deal the Jeff Bezos-owned company has inked with the Trump family just this year. In January, Prime Video announced it had acquired the rights to a new documentary focused on Melania Trump, then the incoming first lady, who is also attached to the project as executive producer. Prime Video did not disclose how much it paid to license the project, but Puck reported a $40 million price tag.
The two deals showcase Amazon’s big bet on the Trump family as tech and media moguls, especially by Bezos, who appears to be currying favor with the president. In addition to betting on the reality TV series, recent changes at Bezos’ Washington Post may signal he hopes a kinder Trump will benefit his Amazon and Blue Origin holdings.
Trump has already chimed in on Prime Video adding “The Apprentice” to its library.
“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,” Trump said in a statement.
