Amazon rumored prepping free ad-supported version of Prime Video [u]

AppleInsiderAppleInsider
Posted:
in General Discussion edited November 2017
Raising a potential threat to Apple's TV plans, people wanting to watch Amazon's movies and TV shows may soon be able to stream without paying for a Prime subscription, which normally costs $99 per year. [Updated with official denial from Amazon]




Amazon is currently in negotiations with networks, movie studios, and other media outfits about programming, which would be free but ad-supported, according to AdAge sources. To date Amazon has largely avoided inserting ads into Prime Video, the main exception being this season's NFL games.

The company could share both audience data and ad revenue, and link content payments to the number of hours spent watching, according to anonymous executives.

"Amazon is talking about giving content creators their own channels, and sharing ad revenue in exchange for a set number of hours of content each week," one of the executives elaborated.

Amazon is reportedly interested in the back catalogs of studios, and improving its libraries in children's programming as well as genres like "lifestyle," travel, and cooking.

Apple is rumored to be preparing a handful of original TV shows for 2019, including a reboot of Steven Spielberg's "Amazing Stories" and a morning show drama starring Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston. The company is allegedly rejecting any pitches with risque, HBO-style content, despite that network's success with shows like "Game of Thrones."

In the meantime Amazon has yet to launch a promised Prime Video app for the Apple TV. Its absence could be helping sales of Roku streamers and Amazon's own Fire TV.

Update: "We have no plans to create a free, ad-supported version of Prime Video," an Amazon spokesperson said in a statement to AppleInsider.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 16
    zroger73zroger73 Posts: 787member
    Can't we just get the damned Amazon Video app for Apple TV already?
    sansStrangeDaysexsangusjeff_cookcaliaaronjairnerd
  • Reply 2 of 16
    mattbookairmattbookair Posts: 172member
    Word
  • Reply 3 of 16
    bloggerblogbloggerblog Posts: 2,464member
    That's a great idea, I would only use Amazon to watch a few episodes of The Grand Tour, so ads are tolerable in that aspect.
    I wish Apple would do the same, I would watch more movies from iTunes if they were ad driven as well (a break to use the loo).
  • Reply 4 of 16
    ihatescreennamesihatescreennames Posts: 1,904member
    I wish Apple would do the same, I would watch more movies from iTunes if they were ad driven as well (a break to use the loo).
    You could just use the “Pause” button, right?  ;)

    I know it’s one of my annoyances but I hate “free but ad-supported”.  If there are ads then I’m paying with my time and maybe my attention.  Yes, it may not cost money, but it isn’t free.  

    My wife likes The Blacklist on NBC.  We have an ad-free sub to Hulu but The Blacklist isn’t there so we watch it using the NBC app on TV and there are ads. It’s so obnoxious. They can’t be skipped and if she can’t finish an episode one night and we continue it another night we end up watching the closest ad block on both days.  Even more annoying.  Don’t get me wrong, I understand the model for ad-supported television and that’s not what I’m complaining about.  My complaint it that we pay for Hulu with on ads, a service that is supported by NBC, but NBC has chosen not to put that show on Hulu and instead force ads on that show’s viewers.
    edited November 2017 StrangeDaysstompy
  • Reply 5 of 16
    sergiozsergioz Posts: 338member
    I wonder how many ads people would have to suffer through, to actually have an enjoyable experience?  
  • Reply 6 of 16
    sanssans Posts: 58member
    zroger73 said:
    Can't we just get the damned Amazon Video app for Apple TV already?
    For reals.
  • Reply 7 of 16
    CheeseFreezeCheeseFreeze Posts: 1,249member
    zroger73 said:
    Can't we just get the damned Amazon Video app for Apple TV already?
    https://www.macrumors.com/2017/10/11/sketchy-rumor-amazon-apple-tv/
  • Reply 8 of 16
    wood1208wood1208 Posts: 2,913member
    Free, everyone like. Wouldn't affect my buying choices due to advs. What happened to that announced Amazon Prime Video App on Apple TV ?
    edited November 2017
  • Reply 9 of 16
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member
    sergioz said:
    I wonder how many ads people would have to suffer through, to actually have an enjoyable experience?  
    How many ads do people suffer through to watch over-the-air TV shows today? Probably would be about the same. Amazon tests a lot of things out to find the "pain point" for their customers quickly.
    cali
  • Reply 10 of 16
    bloggerblogbloggerblog Posts: 2,464member
    SpamSandwich said:
    sergioz said:
    I wonder how many ads people would have to suffer through, to actually have an enjoyable experience?  
    How many ads do people suffer through to watch over-the-air TV shows today? Probably would be about the same. Amazon tests a lot of things out to find the "pain point" for their customers quickly.
    It may even be less since they don't need to pay network fees
  • Reply 11 of 16
    lorin schultzlorin schultz Posts: 2,771member
    SpamSandwich said:
    sergioz said:
    I wonder how many ads people would have to suffer through, to actually have an enjoyable experience?  
    How many ads do people suffer through to watch over-the-air TV shows today? Probably would be about the same. Amazon tests a lot of things out to find the "pain point" for their customers quickly.
    Broadcast TV has exceeded mine. Admittedly I am less patient than most people. Shows I really care about I now skip the broadcast and just buy them on iTunes.
  • Reply 12 of 16
    aaronjaaronj Posts: 1,595member
    zroger73 said:
    Can't we just get the damned Amazon Video app for Apple TV already?
    This.

    But the offer is tempting.  However, when I really think about it, one of the primary (no pun intended) reasons I have Amazon Prime is the free two-day shipping.  When I consider the number of things I order in a typical year (mostly Blu-ray movies), I'd probably end up spending practically $99 anyways on shipping.

    I'm a very impatient person -- I'm aware. :)
  • Reply 13 of 16
    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 0
    As long as they retain the paid option, I'm happy. For those that can tolerate unskippable ads, this is great, for the rest of us, £79 prime subscription (£39 for "students") is well worth it. I very rarely NEED the next day delivery so I often chose the slower service and get at least £1 credit each time, this builds up and I use it to buy films from amazon video, easily covers the annual cost over a year.
  • Reply 14 of 16
    airnerdairnerd Posts: 693member
    This must be why Amazon music can't get an Applewatch app.  
  • Reply 15 of 16
    airnerdairnerd Posts: 693member
    adm1 said:
    As long as they retain the paid option, I'm happy. For those that can tolerate unskippable ads, this is great, for the rest of us, £79 prime subscription (£39 for "students") is well worth it. I very rarely NEED the next day delivery so I often chose the slower service and get at least £1 credit each time, this builds up and I use it to buy films from amazon video, easily covers the annual cost over a year.
    Same, here in the US it's $99 a year but more than worth it for me.  My only fear is that they will do like their music service and keep TV for Prime without the ads but create yet a third tier for additional charges to get the original content.  IMO Amazon is getting close to having too many products (prime TV, free ad TV, prime music, amazon music, reader, library -or whatever their other reader like setup is, etc). Just increase my Prime cost by $10 a year and give me all music and TV again.  
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