Amazon unveils Prime Video Channels to offer content from multiple streaming services

Amazon on Friday announced the launch of Prime Video Channels - a marketplace that will see the company bring content providers like discovery+, Lionsgate Play and Eros Now on one platform - in India.

India is the 12th country to offer Prime Video Channels.

Acting as an intermediary, Prime Video Channels will allow Prime members the option for add-on subscriptions of (over-the-top) OTT services and stream their content on the Amazon Prime Video app and website in India, a statement said.

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"At launch, Prime Video Channels kickstarts with eight premium content providers - discovery+, Lionsgate Play, Eros Now, DocuBay, MUBI, hoichoi, manoramaMAX, and ShortsTV – available with add-on subscriptions to Prime members in India," it added.

Customers will need to pay only for the service they choose. At launch, Prime members will get an introductory annual subscription offer made available by the OTT channel partners.

Amazon Prime Video Country Manager India Gaurav Gandhi said the company has always focused on improving access, experience, and selection for its customers.

"Over the last 4 years, we have continuously strived to entertain and delight our customers by programming in 10 languages, making available exclusive and original content from India and around the world... With the launch of Prime Video Channels, we now take the next big step in our journey to entertain India by creating a video entertainment marketplace," he added.

This will not only give customers more entertainment choices but also benefit the OTT Channel partners who collaborate to leverage Prime Video’s distribution, reach and tech infrastructure, he added.

With Prime Video Channels, users can browse in one place, search across all their premium subscriptions and get personalised recommendations. Close to 10,000 additional titles across 8 OTT services will become available to Prime members.

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Chaitanya Divan, Head of Prime Video Channels at Amazon Prime Video, said Prime Video Channels arrives in India after having successfully launched in 11 countries.

"Our choice of OTT partners for Prime Video Channels is reflective of our diverse and discerning customers’ entertainment needs and interest areas... We look forward to increasing the selection of entertainment even further, with additional channel partners joining in the next few months,” Divan added.

The yearly add-on subscription for the eight OTT apps is -- discovery+ (Rs 299), Docubay (Rs 499), Eros Now (Rs 299), Lionsgate Play (Rs 699), Manorama Max (Rs 699), MUBI (Rs 1,999), and Shorts TV (Rs 299).

Eros Now and discovery+ are offering a 25 per cent discount for Prime members at launch, while there is a 33 per cent discount on hoichoi annual subscription for multiple streams and devices.

Manorama Max and Shorts TV are offering 30 and 40 per cent discounts, respectively, to the Prime subscribers. MUBI is offering an introductory discount to Prime members at launch.

Content consumption has grown manifold in the last few years, especially amid the pandemic. OTT platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+Hotstar, and Zee5 have seen significant growth in user numbers.

Amazon - which competes with players like Netflix with its subscription-based Amazon Prime Video offering - has been bolstering its play in the content space in India.

In May this year, Amazon had announced the launch of a video streaming service 'miniTV' in India - a global first - that allows users to watch curated content across web series, tech news, food, beauty, and fashion, among others. The ad-supported service was launched on Amazon's shopping app.