Andrew Heinzman
Amazon hopes to add live programming to the Prime Video service, according to a report by Protocol. The new service would be comparable to YouTube TV or Pluto TV, with live channels for news, entertainment, sports, and more.
In a recent job listing, Amazon muses that today is “Day 1 for the linear TV experience on Prime Video.” Evidently, the company isn’t happy with its existing Prime Video Channels app, which sells individual cable channels at a premium monthly fee. A refresh of the Prime Video Channels service (or a totally new service) will likely function like Sling, where subscribers have access to a wide catalog of channels for a monthly rate.
But Amazon may have an edge over other live TV services, which are often too expensive or too bare-bones for average consumers. The company has a vast catalog of on-demand content, including hundreds of hours of exclusive shows and movies. Amazon could design its own live video channels, mix in some internet-based channels from Cheddar or Bon Appétit, and throw in a few cable channels to sweeten the pot. Like Youtube TV and Hulu + Live TV, a linear Amazon service may also include add-on channels for an additional fee.
Don’t let this news discourage you from signing up for Sling or YouTube TV. Amazon’s take on streaming TV may be a long way away, or it may never materialize at all. And like Audible and Kindle Unlimited, an Amazon TV service might cost you extra on top of your Prime subscription. We’ll just have to wait and find out.
Source: Amazon via Protocol
