Amazon announces integrated add-on subscriptions for Prime Video viewers

Posted:
in General Discussion
Amazon on Tuesday unveiled the Streaming Partners Program, which -- at extra cost -- will allow Prime Video subscribers to add streaming services that are normally hosted separately.




Early partners include AMC, Showtime, Starz, Ring TV Boxing, and A+E Network. In some cases at least, paying through Amazon will be cheaper than choosing a standalone subscription. Showtime for instance costs $8.99 per month from Amazon, $2 less than an independent plan.

The lower cost is likely possible because Amazon is handling tasks like customer service and billing, as well as routing streams through its own infrastructure.

Although customers have to pay extra on top of Prime, which is $99 a year, advantages include universal search, X-Ray support, unified playlists and watchlists, and voice search on Fire TV devices.

Amazon is believed to be on the verge of releasing a tvOS app for Prime Video. If so, that could create an unusual situation where the Video app serves as its own hub on the Apple TV. It might also draw viewers away from other App Store titles, and eat into Apple's revenue take, depending on whether in-app purchases are supported. If not, users would be paying only via the Web or other devices, cutting Apple out of the loop entirely.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 8
    This is fantastic. Looking forward to having the app on the Apple TV.
  • Reply 2 of 8
    eightzeroeightzero Posts: 3,056member
    Is it 4k?
  • Reply 3 of 8
    Stand alone AMC? That's not available now is it? That could be the final piece for me to cut uverse.
  • Reply 4 of 8
    dasanman69dasanman69 Posts: 13,002member
    customtb said:
    Stand alone AMC? That's not available now is it? That could be the final piece for me to cut uverse.
    I get AMC through SlingTV. 
    latifbp
  • Reply 5 of 8
    fallenjtfallenjt Posts: 4,053member
    eightzero said:
    Is it 4k?
    LOL...yes. What else? Optical sound output?

  • Reply 6 of 8
    latifbplatifbp Posts: 544member
    customtb said:
    Stand alone AMC? That's not available now is it? That could be the final piece for me to cut uverse.
    AMC is already available on Sling TV as part of their package
  • Reply 7 of 8
    Is AMC on demand on sling or just live? Can't really tell from their website
  • Reply 8 of 8
    customtb said:
    Is AMC on demand on sling or just live? Can't really tell from their website
    Yes AMC has on demand with Sling TV. Note that its not universally true with Sling TV or even with AMC. Every channel and each show has different amount of shows available, from none, to all. With Walking Dead, for instance it seems the last few shows are available. And the newest show becomes available the next day after it airs live.

    As an extra helpful tip: I watch ESPN on Apple TV via the ESPN app by using Sling TV subscription as my "provider". The ESPN app is great. It gives me live TV plus a ton of great clips on demand and in a self playing carousel. Love it.

     I'm thinking of switching to the Amazon version of Showtime but need a few more details. Will wait for Amazon app to be released on Apple TV.
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