“The Apprentice,” the long-running reality TV show that boosted Donald Trump’s profile, will begin streaming on Amazon’s Prime Video, the company announced Monday.
The show’s first seven seasons will be available on Amazon’s streaming platform, with the first season premiering Monday and subsequent seasons arriving every week until late April.
Debuting in 2004, “The Apprentice” and a spinoff, “Celebrity Apprentice,” propelled Trump to national stardom following a string of bankruptcies and bad business deals in the 1990s that had splintered his New York-based real estate empire.
The series, meant to showcase Trump’s business acumen, was a major hit, and Trump’s name became a global brand that helped launch his political career. The show featured contestants taking part in various challenges for a $250,000 salary and a job with The Trump Organization.
Trump expressed enthusiasm for the news on Truth Social and in a statement included in Amazon’s statement.
“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 Amazon’s release.
Amazon’s decision to stream “The Apprentice” is the latest indication the company is attempting to strengthen its relationship with Trump, which was testy during his first term.
In January, Amazon said it would release a new documentary about first lady Melania Trump, promising an “unprecedented behind-the-scenes look” at her life.
Weeks before the November election, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos announced that The Washington Post, which he owns, would not endorse a presidential candidate, sparking a wave of resignations and thousands of subscription cancellations.
On Monday, a columnist who has worked at the Post for four decades resigned after she said the newspaper’s management decided not to run her commentary critical of Bezos’ new editorial policy. The policy, announced last month, narrows the topics covered by the paper’s opinion section to personal liberties and the free market.
In December, Amazon said it would donate $1 million to Trump’s inauguration fund. The company also streamed the inauguration on its Prime Video service, a separate in-kind donation worth another $1 million.
