Amazon Prime Video
On the 7th of September 2006, Amazon launched a service called Amazon Unbox in the United States. This early iteration allowed users to download movies and television shows directly to their computers. The platform operated as a digital storefront for purchasing content rather than streaming it live. By the 22nd of February 2011, the company renamed the service Amazon Instant Video. This rebranding coincided with the addition of access to 5,000 movies and television shows for Prime members. The library included titles from Sony Pictures, Warner Bros., PBS, BBC, Magnolia Pictures, IFC Films, and National Geographic. A significant shift occurred when the word "Instant" was dropped from its title in the US during September 2015. The service became simply Amazon Video before evolving into Prime Video later that year.
Amazon pursued aggressive growth through key business moves including the purchase of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM). On the 26th of May 2021, it was officially announced that Amazon would acquire MGM for $8.45 billion. The deal closed after receiving all governmental approvals on the 17th of March 2022. This acquisition brought major franchises such as Fast & Furious, Jurassic Park, and Bourne eligible to stream on Prime Video. In July 2021, Amazon and Universal Pictures reached a multi-year deal to bring Universal's films to Prime Video. As part of this agreement, titles from Universal's library and future theatrical releases became available following their first pay window and four months after release on Peacock. Amazon also signed a long-term deal with Shepperton Studios on the 9th of February 2022, for exclusive use of new production facilities. These partnerships allowed the company to expand its content library significantly while reducing reliance on external licensors.
In January 2015, Transparent became the first show produced by Amazon Studios to win a major award. It won the Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series , Musical or Comedy. This marked the first series from a streaming video service to achieve this honor. On the 30th of July 2015, Amazon hired Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May to produce an untitled motoring show. The program later received the name The Grand Tour. Andy Wilman, the former executive producer of Top Gear, stated that each episode would have a budget of around £4.5 million. This figure was nine times larger than Top Gear's budget. Jeff Bezos described the deal as "very expensive, but worth it." In 2017, Amazon Studios purchased global television adaptation rights to The Lord of the Rings. The resulting product, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, streams exclusively on Prime Video. The company also expanded marketing campaigns and local productions to Latin America in 2020 with titles like El Presidente, La Jauría, and Súbete a mi moto.
On the 14th of December 2016, Prime Video launched worldwide except for mainland China, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, and Syria. The expansion included new territories such as Belgium, Brazil, Canada, France, India, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Turkey, and Spain. For all other countries, the service became available for a monthly promotional price of $/€2.99 per month for the first six months and $/€5.99 per month thereafter. In July 2021, Amazon announced plans to expand the service to Southeast Asia. The offerings would include localized content, as well as localized interface and subtitles for non-local content. By January 2024, they decided to cut original productions for both Southeast Asia and Middle East and North Africa. This shift focused resources on European productions and licensing deals instead. Similar layoffs took place in West and South Africa divisions few months later amidst fierce competition with Showmax. In December 2024, Amazon Prime Video announced significant changes to its operations in India to enhance customer satisfaction and comply with local regulations.
In April 2017, Amazon began making sports-related content acquisitions by securing rights to stream portions of the NFL's Thursday Night Football games during the 2017 NFL season. This was part of a $50 million deal replacing a previous agreement with Twitter. On the 18th of March 2021, Prime Video renewed their deal to be the exclusive broadcaster of Thursday Night Football between the 2022 and 2033 seasons in the United States. The company also acquired British television rights to the ATP World Tour beginning 2019. A reported £30 million deal secured US Open rights for five years from the 2018 edition. In June 2018, Amazon secured UK rights to broadcast 20 live Premier League football matches from the 2019, 20 season on a three-year deal. This marked the first time that the league would be shown on a domestic live streaming service rather than exclusively on television. On the 24th of July 2024, Prime Video announced an 11-year agreement with the NBA beginning in the 2025, 26 season.
Prime Video supports online streaming via web player as well as apps on Amazon Fire-branded devices. Supported third-party mobile devices include digital media players like Roku, video game consoles, and smart TVs. An Android TV app was initially available only on Sony Bravia smart TVs running Android TV and Nvidia Shield. Historically, the company withheld support for Apple TV and Google's Chromecast platform. In October 2015, Amazon banned the sale of these devices on its online marketplace because they did not support the Prime Video ecosystem. Critics argued this displayed protectionism against competitors to its own Amazon Fire TV products. However, in December 2017, Amazon released an Apple TV app for Prime Video. By April 2019, it added Chromecast support to the Prime Video mobile app. The service supports up to 4K (UHD) and high-dynamic-range (HDR) streaming depending on the device. Other titles support 1080p (HD) streaming with 5.1 Dolby Digital or Dolby Digital Plus audio.
Up Next
Continue Browsing
Common questions
When did Amazon launch its video streaming service?
Amazon launched its video streaming service on the 7th of September 2006 under the name Amazon Unbox. This early iteration allowed users to download movies and television shows directly to their computers rather than stream them live.
What major acquisition did Amazon make for Prime Video in 2021?
On the 26th of May 2021, it was officially announced that Amazon would acquire Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) for $8.45 billion. The deal closed after receiving all governmental approvals on the 17th of March 2022 and brought franchises such as Fast & Furious and Jurassic Park to the platform.
Which show became the first from a streaming service to win a Golden Globe Award?
In January 2015, Transparent became the first show produced by Amazon Studios to win a major award. It won the Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series , Musical or Comedy marking the first series from a streaming video service to achieve this honor.
Where is Amazon Prime Video not available worldwide?
Prime Video launched worldwide except for mainland China, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, and Syria on the 14th of December 2016. The expansion included new territories such as Belgium, Brazil, Canada, France, India, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Turkey, and Spain.
What sports rights did Amazon secure starting in 2017?
In April 2017, Amazon began making sports-related content acquisitions by securing rights to stream portions of the NFL's Thursday Night Football games during the 2017 NFL season. On the 18th of March 2021, Prime Video renewed their deal to be the exclusive broadcaster of Thursday Night Football between the 2022 and 2033 seasons in the United States.