AMC+ to get significant overhaul, but most customers will lose content
AMC+ to get significant overhaul, but most customers will lose content
A revamped AMC+ app will introduce personalized profiles, improved navigation, and a better video player later this month, but will lose some of its horror and indie content.
AMC+ is preparing for a substantial makeover later this month, bringing a collection of new features and improvements to its streaming platform. However, while the changes are designed to make the service easier to use, they also come with a significant adjustment to its content library. Subscribers will soon lose access to portions of the Shudder and Sundance Now catalogs that have long been included with their AMC+ memberships.
Key Details:
- More than a fresh coat of paint: This month, AMC+ will undergo a major refurbishment that will include personalized profiles, a new video player, and more.
- Cut backs: The Shudder and Sundance Now libraries now available on AMC+ will be pared down for most subscribers.
- Just in time for the apocalypse: The changes come as AMC+ prepares to stream the original “Walking Dead” series for the first time, beginning in January.
In an email sent to subscribers on Tuesday, AMC confirmed that it will roll out an upgraded app in November, complete with customizable user profiles, an enhanced video player, and a more carefully curated interface designed to help viewers discover new programming. The overhaul will also coincide with changes to how AMC+ distributes content from its sister streaming services.
The most consequential change arrives on Wednesday, Nov. 18, when AMC+ will stop offering the complete catalogs of Shudder and Sundance Now as part of its standard subscription. Instead, the service will retain a curated selection of programming from both platforms, while their full libraries will be available exclusively through their respective standalone services.
The move represents a notable shift in AMC+’s longstanding identity as a bundled streaming service. One of its primary selling points has been the ability to combine AMC’s prestige dramas and original programming with Shudder’s extensive collection of horror library and Sundance Now’s collection of independent films, international dramas, and documentaries.
Under the new arrangement, subscribers will continue to have access to selected programming from both services, but those seeking their complete catalogs will need to sign up for Shudder and Sundance Now separately.
Despite the change, there is an important exception for existing annual subscribers. According to the email, customers with an active AMC+ annual plan will retain access to the complete Shudder library at no additional charge through the end of their current subscription term. The email does not explicitly extend that same guarantee to Sundance Now.
AMC+ described the decision as part of an effort to simplify content discovery while continuing to offer programming from both services alongside its growing collection of originals and exclusive titles.
The upcoming app overhaul will also introduce several features intended to modernize the AMC+ streaming experience, including customizable user profiles, an improved video player, and a redesigned interface with more personalized content recommendations. The company has not announced an exact launch date, but subscribers should expect some temporary disruptions as the transition takes place.
From Monday, Nov. 16, through Wednesday, Nov. 18, users will be unable to reset their passwords, including through AMC+’s customer support representatives. Subscribers also will not be able to add or remove titles from their watchlists or download additional content during that period. Customers who subscribed directly through the AMC+ website can still submit cancellation requests during the transition, but those requests will not be processed until the upgrade is complete. AMC+ says billing will be paused while cancellations are pending, ensuring that affected customers are not charged during the delay.
The platform changes come as AMC+ prepares to expand its collection of original series and franchise programming, including a major addition to one of television’s most recognizable properties. In January, all 11 seasons of the original “The Walking Dead” series will arrive on AMC+ for the first time, bringing the flagship series together with its various spinoffs. The addition will give subscribers access to a combined 371 episodes from across the franchise, alongside supplemental programming.
As much of the streaming and entertainment industry focuses on consolidation, it is interesting that AMC Networks is looking to decouple, at least partially, its flagship streamer from some of its more niche content. However, all streamers are making efforts to streamline and simplify content selection, so if paring back on some of the horror and indie content can help make the AMC+ experience better for users, perhaps it will end up being worth the tradeoff.
AMC+
AMC+ is a premium subscription streaming bundle owned by AMC Networks. It offers curated access to award-winning originals, indie films, and prestige television. Launched in June 2020, the service combines content from AMC with flagship brands such as BBC America, IFC, Sundance TV, Shudder, Sundance Now, and IFC Films Unlimited, delivering a rich library of exclusive programming and early episode access.