Netflix has seen incredible growth in its business over the past couple of years as it evolves from a DVD-by-mail company to one specializing in streaming. Could Amazon be looking to grab a bite of this increasingly-profitable cherry?
Amazon Prime Unlimited Streaming
According to Engadget, Amazon prime customers now have access to free, unlimited streaming video. Around 5,000 movies and TV shows are listed as being available to subscribers, with the only caveat being they’re only available to watch in 480p SD rather than HD.
Amazon Prime costs $79 per year and currently gives customers entitlement to free 2-day shipping on all products. The adding of an unlimited video streaming service to that would be a huge bonus for existing subscribers and possibly enough of an enticement for others to follow. After all, Netflix’ basic streaming service costs $95.88 per year.
Competition For Netflix?
Amazon has been eyeing up potential ways of getting more heavily involved in online video and video streaming for a while. There have been rumors both of the online retailer looking to launch its own Netflix-style service and of it buying Netflix outright.
This effort may be its answer, at least in the short term. It gives Amazon the opportunity to see how successful such a venture would be as well as the chance to iron out any kinks in the infrastructure involved in delivering video to customers in this way.
Were this to be confirmed and then enough to persuade more people to sign up to Amazon Prime then I suggest a bigger plan would be put into operation. Because this could prove to be competition for the highly-successful Netflix.
Conclusions
This remains unconfirmed at this stage, and my guess would be that it’s a trial at the moment. Otherwise Amazon would surely have announced it to the world. Still, if it’s successful then expect a widespread rollout and the start of a tasty new online video streaming battle.
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