Amazon Exec Speaks Out on Streaming Aggregation
Amazon Exec Speaks Out on Streaming Aggregation
Is Prime Video in the best position to lead a new wave of aggregation?
One of the biggest challenges confronting streaming users today is the dispersal of content. Streaming would be incredibly simple if users could find all of their favorite shows, movies, and sports on a single platform, but as of now, content is highly fragmented as services try to differentiate themselves from the competition by accruing more diverse titles and programming.
Amazon vice president of international Kelly Day recognizes the problem. According to Variety, Day spoke at the APOS media and entertainment conference in Indonesia this week regarding the evolution of the Prime Video platform, and made it clear her company sees the struggle its users have in finding new content in a world that presents them with more video options than ever before.
“The last few years have been incredible,” Day said. “For consumers there has never been a better time. There’s more selection of amazing content available all over the world from lots of different services. [..] I think the challenges is that it is a little bit of overwhelming, there’s so much content available, so many services to choose from, that we start to see in certain places in the world, a little bit of consumption fatigue.”
That’s why Amazon could be in a great position to lead the next phase of evolution in the streaming industry. The platform offers plenty of original content, which is a big draw for potential subscribers. It also offers a platform where users can rent movies that are still in theaters or are fresh out of them, and its free ad-supported TV (FAST) service Freevee carries thousands of hours of curated programming at no cost.
“Over the last few years, we’ve invested in a lot of big titles – ‘Lord of the Rings,’ ‘Citadel,’ ‘Jack Ryan’ – and these titles really resonate with our Prime customers all over the world, and we see these working in almost every country around the world,” Day outlined. “That’s really what brings people into Prime Video. And then the opportunity is, once we have [viewers] engaged with our platform, going out and seeking [third party] content, whether that is ‘Yellowstone,’ ‘The Last of Us,’ ‘Barbie’ or ‘Super Mario Brothers,’ They’re really engaging with that marketplace person once we have them come into the fold.”
This is Streaming Theory 101, and Day has the details down pat. Prime Video also has a leg up because it offers content from so many different streamers through its marketplace. Users can purchase subscriptions to streaming services like Max, [Paramount+$] and many others through Prime Video, allowing them to keep their various accounts on one monthly bill. It’s a big reason why The Streamable rated Prime Video as one of the top streaming aggregators available this year.
The biggest problem for Amazon in its quest to become a more fully realized streaming marketplace is that it operates its own streaming platform as well. Competitors like Disney will continue to be leery about helping Amazon by making their streamers available on its platform, even if they get a boost in distribution from doing so.
Still, greater aggregation in the streaming industry is coming, and most executives know it. Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav said this year that if more streaming platforms don’t come together voluntarily, they would be compelled to do so by market forces at some point. Prime Video could be a natural consolidator for these services, but it has to overcome the old-school thinking of competitors first.
Prime Video
Prime Video is a subscription video streaming service that includes on-demand access to 10,000+ movies, TV shows, and Prime Originals like “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power,” “Jack Ryan,” “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” “The Boys,” and more. Subscribers can also add third-party services like Max, Showtime, STARZ, and dozens more with Prime Video Channels. Prime Video also offers exclusive live access to NFL Thursday Night Football.