Ever since the launch of Amazon Prime this July, there's been a huge amount of interest in Amazon Prime Video, the company's video on demand streaming service. Now, Amazon has finally made the apps available on both Android and iOS, and if you are a subscriber to Amazon Prime, you can immediately start using the app.
If you're on Android and you've already installed and signed-in to the Amazon app, then you don't even need to sign into the Amazon Video app - you can just install it and start watching with no further steps. This also confirms what we've been saying for a while - although the company never officially issued a statement - that Prime Video is included with Amazon Prime subscription. This makes it the cheapest video streaming service you can get with a pretty vast catalogue that includes a number of award-winning original shows that are exclusive to Amazon.
Right now, you can subscribe to Prime at just Rs. 499 per year; the full price is supposed to be Rs. 999 per year, though it's unclear when that comes into effect. At the present rate, that works out to under Rs. 50 per month for Amazon Prime Video, and even at full price it would be under Rs. 100 per month. That's significantly lower than Netflix, where the monthly fee is Rs 650, and it's also cheaper than homegrown alternatives such as Hotstar, which charges Rs. 190 per month.
Amazon is clearly paying attention to the local market. It is reported to be in the race for the IPL streaming rights, which would give the company access to India's huge sports market. Apart from this, the company has also been in talks with several Indian studios.
In the past few months, Amazon India has officially confirmed tie-ups with the likes of Dharma Productions – owned by director and producer Karan Johar – T-Series, as well as Arka Mediaworks' SS Rajamouli.
The Prime Video app features films like Sultan, Kabali, and Raaz (the last two are Amazon exclusives), alongside Supernatural, and the Man in the High Castle, the latter being Amazon Prime Video exclusives. TV shows focus on a number of popular picks that feel more accessible than Netflix's state, with picks such as 2 Broke Girls, and Mike and Molly, as well as a few shows that it shares in common with Netflix, such as Elementary, and the Good Wife.
This combination of pricing and content could help Amazon Prime Video start successful streaming in India, although it's going to face stiff competition, as a huge number of occupants already crowd the market. The company it seems is focusing more heavily than Netflix on local content, which would not just help it be more appealing to audiences within the country but would also likely be cheaper to acquire than international ones.
Whether this can help it to replace Flipkart in overall scale in India or not, it's still a welcome step to see Amazon Prime Video in India, as it brings several award-winning original shows, which you would not otherwise be able to watch legally in India.
Download Prime Video App on Android and iOS!
Source: Amazon
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