Amazon expanded its selection of pay-to-view television channels to the United Kingdom and Germany markets today. The announcement means users of Prime Video in those countries will be able to subscribe to popular channels individually, rather than having to pay for bundles of channels.
Previously, Amazon's on-demand Prime Video subscription service only offered movies and TV shows in the U.K. and Germany, which are two of the company's biggest European markets.
"For the first time, Prime members in the UK and Germany will be able to choose to watch premium TV channels without having to sign up to a bundle or a contract, giving them the freedom to pay for only what they want to watch," said Alex Green, head of Amazon Channels in Europe.
"From live sport to Bollywood, arthouse cinema to reality TV, and award-winning TV shows from popular channels like Discovery and ITV, Amazon Channels gives power back to customers to choose exactly what they want to watch."
However, one analyst who spoke to the BBC said Amazon would struggle to attract satellite customers in the U.K., calling the list of channels – which includes the likes of Eurosport and Discovery – "not immediately desirable".
"Amazon launched a similar thing in the U.S., and the big selling point was that you could get HBO and Showtime programs all under one umbrella," said Tom Harrington, an analyst at Enders.
"That's not going to happen here. Sky have HBO and Showtime locked down, at least for now, and will hold on to them aggressively. When you look at what's available in the U.K., it does lack the wow factor."
Close to 50 on-demand "Amazon Channels" will be available through Prime Video via a single click. Prices of the various channels in the U.K. vary between £1.49 and £9.49 a month, but are only available to Amazon Prime members.
Most of the content will also be available to download for offline, on-demand viewing, with free trials being offered for the majority of subscriptions. Amazon also said additional subscriptions would be added in the coming months. The full list of available channels can be found here.
Top Rated Comments
* Arthouse CNMA – Kunstvoll inszeniertes Programmkino für Filmliebhaber, on demand für 3,99€ monatlich
* Cirkus – Riesige Auswahl an britischen und skandinavischen Krimihits, on demand für 3,99€ monatlich
* E! Entertainment – Exklusive E!-Momente mit deinen Stars, Promi-News und Reality-Shows, linear und on demand für 1,99€ monatlich
* Filmtastic – Kinospaß pur mit Blockbustern, Kultfilmen und Geheimtipps von Filmexperten, on demand für 3,99€ monatlich
* Fix & Foxi – Filmspaß für die ganze Familie mit Filmen, Animationskino und Serien für Kinder, on demand für 4,99€ monatlich
* Full Moon Features – Horror, Sci-fi, Fantasy, Comedy und Filmklassiker, on demand für 3,99€ monatlich
* GEO Television – Preisgekrönte Dokumentationen und Reportagen zu aktuellen Themen aus aller Welt, linear und on demand für 3,99€ monatlich
* Gute Laune TV HD – Großartige deutschsprachige Musik aus fünf Jahrzehnten, linear und on demand für 2,99€ monatlich
* Historama – Geschichte erleben mit packenden Dokumentationen und Filmen, on demand für 2,99€ monatlich
* Home of Horror – Horrorfime zum Ausflippen, on demand für 3,99€ monatlich
* Horse & Country TV HD – Die ganze Welt des Pferdesports mit allen News zum Pferde- und Country-Lifestyle, linear und on demand für 3,99€ monatlich
* Kixi Select – Spannende Unterhaltung für Kinder mit aktuellen Filmen, Serien und vielem mehr, on demand für 4,99€ monatlich
* MGM – Hollywood Hits, Kultfilme und zeitlose Klassiker für Filmliebhaber, on demand für 3,99€ monatlich
* Motorvision TV – Brandheißer Motorsport mit exklusiven Rennen rund um die Uhr, linear und on demand für 6,99€ monatlich
* MUBI – Independent-Kino in einer handverlesenen Auswahl für Filmliebhaber, on demand für 5,99€ monatlich
* Nautical Channel HD – Weltweite Wassersport-Events mit allen wichtigen Wettkämpfen und Entscheidungen, on demand für 3,99€ monatlich
* realeyz – Preisgekrönte Independent-Filme direkt von den Kinofestivals und Filmemachern, on demand für 5,50€ monatlich
* Rooster Teeth – Comedy, Animations-Filme, Gaming, Original-Serien, Talkshows und mehr, on demand in englischer Originalfassung für 3,99€ monatlich
* sportdigital HD – Fußball rund um die Uhr mit allen Topspielen der führenden Ligen aus aller Welt, linear und on demand für 5,99€ monatlich
* Studio Universal Classics – Lieblingsfilme mit der ganzen Magie Hollywoods, on demand für 3,99€ monatlich
* Syfy Horror – Top-Schocker für alle mit Lust auf Horror, on demand für 3,99€ monatlich
* Terra X – Faszinierende Dokumentationen rund um Geschichte, Archäologie und Natur, on demand für 2,99€ monatlich
* Turk on Video – Aktuelle Kinohits aus der Türkei, on demand in türkischer Originalfassung für 3,99€ monatlich
* Waidwerk – Der Channel für alle Angler, Jäger & Outdoor-Begeisterte, on demand für 3,99€ monatlich
* Xplore – Der Channel für Reiselustige und Abenteurer: Dokus, Travel Clips und mehr, linear und on demand für 2,99€ monatlich
* Zeit Akademie Selection – Der Wissens-Channel: unterhaltsam, spannend, verständlich, on demand für 7,99€ monatlich
That's even less compelling than what the UK gets.
Not sure about the Dicovery channel, I use TV Player which gets that and Discovery Turbo, the only platform to do so in the U.K. on a streaming device, maybe until now, for less money.
ITV looks good, as for the BBC, I couldn't care what those state funded liberalists think, I'm waiting for the day I'm not forced to pay them any money! They should have to seek advertising revenue like everyone else.
More power to cut the cord and damage monopolistic giants like Sky.