The move comes at a time when the company is facing increased competition from both global and domestic rivals in the market.
In an interview, Gaurav Gandhi, the head of Amazon Prime Video in India, said that the Amazon Channels service will allow customers who use the company’s core loyalty program, Prime, to subscribe to multiple streaming services on a single interface.
“We feel that, in addition to solving user problems like multiple apps and log-ins, it also solves a lot for our partners by enabling them to benefit from Prime Video’s reach and global distribution,” Gandhi added. According to Gandhi, Channels is debuting with streaming services from partners such as Discovery Inc, Lions Gate Entertainment Corp, and Mubi, and India is the 12th country to do so.
Customers will still have to pay separately for each streaming service, despite the fact that they are now being given at a subsidized rate.
In India, for example, the movie streaming app Mubi costs 499 rupees ($6.77) per month, whereas Prime Video costs 1,999 rupees per year.
“Amazon’s power as a content provider and a destination grows,” according to Uday Sodhi, the former head of Sony India’s digital division.
A recently announced merger between India’s Zee and a local unit of Japan’s Sony Group Corp could result in the creation of a TV powerhouse capable of competing with Prime Video and others in the market.
Amazon has put a lot of money into buying and producing native content in India, and its founder, Jeff Bezos, said last year that Prime Video was doing well all over the world, “but nowhere it’s doing better than India.” Amazon does not break down its customer base by country.
As in other countries, this move transforms Amazon Prime Video into a content aggregator in India, making it a one-stop-shop for thousands of new pieces of content throughout the film and television spectrum.
Mirzapur Seasons 1 and 2, Comicstaan Semma Comedy Pa, Breathe: Into The Shadows, Bandish Bandits, and Paatal Lok are among the local originals that the company has acquired and produced so far though.
“At Amazon, we’ve always prioritized increasing our customers’ access, experience, and selection,” said Gaurav Gandhi, Country Manager, Amazon Prime Video, India.
“For the past four years, we’ve worked hard to entertain and amaze our users by programming in ten languages, making unique and original material from India and around the world available, and providing a world-class streaming experience across screens. As a result of all of this, Amazon Prime Video has become the most popular premium streaming service in India, with viewers hailing from 99 percent of India’s pin codes. We’ve taken the next important step in our effort to entertain India by launching Prime Video Channels — a video entertainment marketplace. It is first of its kind in India which will benefit our OTT Channel partners who engage with us to utilize Prime Video’s distribution, reach, and tech infrastructure, as well as delight our customers by providing them with even more entertainment options.”
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